Cheerio's & Froot Loops
by G3n3ralRedfield
Summary: Quinn is fresh out of Juvie for beating the crap out of Jesse St James  Rachel's best friend  Rachel is therefore not ecstatic to see Quinn starting her senior year at McKinley!  Were peen, cos Someone said I wouldnt and I'm an ornery cuss that way!
1. Chapter 1

_Okay…I apologise for this as I am aware I still have two stories on the go but this one shot wouldn't leave my head, I have no idea why apart from the very dubious dream that plagued me last night, plus okay, maybe yeah I have been wanting to attempt a GP story so if you hate those things don't read this because…I'm finally caving in to the pressure and writing it, it's very AU as follows…_

_**Rachel **__is one of the holy trinity along with San and Brit at McKinley, her best friend is Jesse from Carmel High, she's still a complete diva and under her rule the school is a very tolerant and nice place to be, Santana still has her issues lol but Rach keeps her under control.__**Quinn **__was a cheerleader at Carmel until the end of the first year when she beat Jesse so bad he can no longer perform, no one knows why and Quinn never defended herself in court, thus she spent a year in Juvie and is now about to start her senior year at McKinley, Rachel is not happy!_

Quinn can remember the exact day her life started to fall apart, the last day of her first year of high school, up until then she was a typical (for the most part) teenager. Her concerns only ranged as far as homework assignments, whether or not she could memorise the latest cheer and how to tell her mom she was gay. Not that she imagined her mom would mind but things hadn't been easy for the two of them recently. At the beginning of the year her father had been killed in action in Afghanistan and it had hit them both hard.

The blonde haired girl hadn't set out to make things worse for her mom, far from it in fact, she had been doing her best so everything appeared to be business as usual. But it wasn't, as well as fighting her own emerging sexuality she was trying to support her mother who was having yet another operation to see if her hearing could be restored. When Quinn was just a child her mother had caught some god awful virus she couldn't remember the name of that had damaged her mom's hearing completely, Judy was getting better at lip reading but for the most part they talked in ASL. So her own worries she kept to herself and it turned out to have been the _worst _thing she could have done.

Because when she found out about Gabrielle her temper exploded, even without the pressures mounting on her she would have lashed out but with things the way they were she went ballistic, she'd only stopped because one of the footballers had literally torn her off of Jesse and pinned her to the ground until the rage passed. Blowing out a breath and running her hands through her now close cropped hair she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. No makeup, she learned in Juvie only one type of woman wore makeup and she _wasn't _that type, clean and pressed white shirt, sleeves rolled up a quarter of the way hiding the scar on her arm for the most part, loose blue jeans with suspenders hanging from them and black Converse that matched the black skinny tie knotted loosely round her neck. She smiled without humour at herself causing the still red scar on her chin to crinkle. She looked a mix of preppy and geek, should be enough to keep her _off _of McKinley's social radar. If it was up to her she wouldn't go back to high school at all, but her mom had all but begged her and so she had acquiesced and it became part of the agreement for her early release. Grabbing up the battered USAF bag she used as a messenger bag she headed down to the kitchen where her mom was laying out breakfast stuff. Forcing a smile the blonde signed.

_What's with all the cooked food mom, you __**know **__I'm a slave to the Toucan?_

Judy Fabray rolled her eyes and pausing to wipe her hands on the tea towel she signed back swiftly.

_You cant start your first day back at school with nothing but chemicals and milk inside you, now be grateful I made you pancakes with bacon __**and **__eggs and eat up!_

Sitting down at the older woman's urging Quinn pulled the plate to her and began to eat steadily, she didn't have the heart to tell her mom she couldn't face much because of nerves. Not that she thought she wouldn't be able to handle it, after Juvie she knew she could handle _anything _that McKinley had to throw at her and then some, it was just…after over a year of institutionalised life the thought of being free was a little daunting. After managing to finish the last mouthful and washing it down with orange juice she looked up and caught her mom looking at her worriedly, she forced a smile.

_I'm okay mom, just a little nervous…it's been a while you know?_

Letting out a long sigh the elder Fabray walked over and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug, she loved her so much and knew there had to be something behind her attack on that boy. Yes he was an obnoxious and smarmy young man but that wouldn't normally cause Quinn to lose her temper like that. But however much she had tried to coax it from her daughter it never happened, the teen would just smile sadly and say she couldn't, Judy backed off in the end and told her that if she was ever ready she would always listen and that she loved her. Kissing the top of the troubled girls head she stepped back and signed.

_Just remember Quinn, you __**have **__paid your debt now, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, the past is the past and now it's time for you to get your graduation and think about a college_

Hiding her automatic grimace Quinn nodded and gratefully accepted the bagged lunch that her mom passed her, frowning when Judy held up the keys to her jeep.

_**Why **__are you giving me your car key's mom?_

Frowning worriedly Judy hesitated then admitted.

I _still don't like you on that motorbike, I know your father left it to you and you love it but…it scares me, you know those things are the biggest contributor to organ donation baby?_

Slinging her messenger bag over her shoulders the blonde deliberately picked up the crash helmet off of the breakfast bar where she'd left it last night and snagged the bike keys which had a key ring for the 966th Air Expeditionary Squadron hanging from them. Judy threw her hands up in surrender and just relented. Sparing a kiss for her mom Quinn headed to the restored Indian and with a deep breath fired it up and headed towards McKinley…it _had _to be easier than Juvie after all!

Rachel Berry checked the skirt of her cheerleading uniform one more time and then turned to grin at her two best friends…well her best friend Brittany and Santana who was just, well just _Santana _really. Senior year was their time to rule, after last year when she and her devoted boyfriend Finn Hudson won the Prom King & Queen crowns she just knew that this year they would take it _all_. A record breaking ninth win for the cheerio's, a first place finish at nationals for the glee club and senior prom King & Queen. Fluffing her hair our she clasped her hands together happily as she regarded her companions.

"I hope you have been practicing the song's I e mailed you over the holidays, I would have come over and helped you personally but as you know my fathers took me and Finn to Maui for our summer break."

Brittany squealed happily and bounced on the balls of her feet as she gave Rachel the reaction she was looking for, Santana for her part just rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Wow, I bet the image of Mr puff pastry nipples and his pasty white hairless chest was enough to cure a few _mistaken _cases of heterosexuality."

Rachel scowled and tried to ignore the fact that she had in fact found the particular sight the Latina had referred to as unappealing.

"Santana, just because you're annoyed he came back to _me _is no reason to get bitchy!"

Rachel was the only one that _ever _got to talk to Santana like that, sadly it had no impact whatsoever on the Latina as she examined her nails and snorted in amusement.

"Berry if you want the three second wonder he's all yours, believe me when I say that the moment you unclench your legs and allow him to pop your cherry it will be _the _most disappointing thing you have ever experienced."

This time Brittany joined in with her 'on again, off again' girlfriends laughter and when Rachel turned to her in exasperation and threw her hands up the blonde dancer shrugged.

"Sorry Rachy but to be fair she's right this time, Finn is well known as the _worst _lover in this place, trust me when I say most people are glad you're dating him, it means they're safe from his clumsy advances."

Although annoyed at her friends teasing she wished she could deny it, part of the reason she _hadn't _slept with her boyfriend yet was because they only ever got as far as foreplay before he prematurely shot his load into his pants and ran off to the bathroom embarrassed. So all steps they had taken towards making their relationship more intimate had ended with her comforting the football player while he fell asleep and left her to take care of herself. Instead of confiding that however, she just glared at them and started reaching into her locker to get the books she needed for her morning classes.

At that point Kurt and Blaine came running up breathlessly, they were McKinley's first out and proud gay couple and had earned something of a minor celebrity status within the school. They were also great friends with Rachel's fathers and spent _Oscar _and _Eurovision _nights round the Berry's house. From the matching excited glances they were shooting at one another and then towards Rachel, the head cheerio guessed that they had some new and amazing piece of gossip they wished to share with her, although she never _actively _encouraged those sorts of things she also couldn't deny that she liked being in the loop. Before she could speak however Santana rolled her eyes and verbalised the petite diva's thoughts.

"Geez, would you just spill it already before the two of you combust and send stars, rainbows, puppies, kittens and other _gay _shit all over the corridor."

Kurt rolled his eyes at the Latina and effectively ignored her as he turned to Rachel and grabbed both of her shoulders tightly, looking into her eyes intensely he half whispered.

"Rachel honey, you have to _promise _me that when I tell you this you wont over react…okay?"

Frowning slightly at her friends dramatics she clutched her books closer to her chest wondering what could possibly have the Fashionista wound so tightly. She nodded and with a small smile shrugged one shoulder.

"_Fine_, I promise, though I'm not sure what you think would cause me to act in a negative way, after all thanks to mine and Finn's diligence over the summer break everything is on course for a wonderful year."

Kurt chewed his lip and glanced towards Blaine, his boyfriend nodded encouragingly and Kurt looked back to Rachel.

"I'm not sure if you've heard anything yet but we are getting a new student this year."

Frowning the little diva shrugged and gestured for him to continue, there was nothing so far that seemed cause for concern…_until, _of course the boy spilled the second half of his news.

"Rachel there's no easy way to say this, it's…well it's Quinn Fabray, she got early release and as there's no way Carmel would take her back Figgin's agreed to let her attend McKinley…she's due to start this morning."

There was more, but Rachel no longer heard him, she leant heavily on her locker and thought back to the phone call she had received from Jesse's mom on that day, Mrs St James had been so distraught that Rachel hadn't been able to make out a word the woman was saying. She had rushed over to her best friends house only to find it locked up and dark, frowning in confusion she rang Jesse's mom's cell and _this _time she managed to get it out of her that she was in the hospital, it was the one time that the diva had ignored the speed limits.

When she had reached the hospital Mrs St James had fallen into her arms sobbing and she finally got the facts from Jesse's friend from vocal adrenaline, Jason, that he had been attacked at school, as in _seriously _beaten and was currently in Theatre where they were re inflating his lung and setting broken bones. Feeling dizzy, she had sat down and held on to Jesse's weeping mother as she waited to hear what the diagnosis was. At Jason's intake of breath and wide eyes she looked up and following his line of sight took in the unexpected view of the girl she assumed must be Jesse's attacker given Jason's reaction.

The girl was the same age as her and tall, taller than her for sure and dressed in a Carmel High cheerleading outfit, she seemed dazed, the white of her sneakers were splashed with blood as was her uniform and her hands were cuffed and in front her so the diva could clearly make out the bloody and bruised digits that she was obviously here to have treated. There were two uniformed officers either side of her and she acquiesced to their commands and took a seat outside a cubicle. Rachel felt her eyes narrow and her hands shake with anger as she took in the girls seemingly casual attitude, she was seconds away from lunging towards her and Jason must have known because he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't Rae…just _don't _she's fucking insane, you didn't see it happen and trust me…she, well she _cant _be normal, not after what she did to him."

Narrowing her eyes further, the Cheerio glared at the tall blonde in front of her but subsided nonetheless, the Carmel cheerleader seemed completely nonplussed by her actions and just waited to be seen by the doctors, Rachel had glared until the girl was taken for treatment then she went back to comforting Jesse's mom and waiting to hear about his condition…

Shaking herself the diva came back to the present and narrowed her eyes, she was proud of the fact that through her efforts McKinley was officially one of the most tolerant and bully free schools in the state. The admittance of someone as brutal and _Thuggish _as Quinn Fabray would upset the balance, so it was her responsibility, her _duty _to make sure that the new student understood the rules from the beginning and she turned to Santana slowly.

It wasn't often that the hot headed Latina felt anything other than a certain grudging respect for the little diva but the cold measured look in the girls brown eyes at that moment actually gave her the creeps. Rachel looked totally alien as she assumed a cold mask and lay a hand on Santana's arm.

"We are going to go outside and wait for this _Quinn Fabray _to turn up and then we will take her aside for a little talk, _your _type of talk San."

The Latina's eyes widened at that, the last time she had let loose on someone was when that asshole jock Azimio had had the gall to shove both Kurt and Blaine forcefully into their lockers and send their books flying across the hall. Needless to say after Santana's little _talk _he had been absent for a couple of days then had transferred to another school. If she 'talked' with Fabray the girl had no other school to transfer to so after a swallow and a hard look she had to double check.

"Rach, are you _sure _you know what you're asking for? I know Jesse and you have been friends for years but…isn't this a little personally motivated?"

Letting an angry breath out through her nose the diva clenched her jaw and for maybe only the second time in their lives her assembled friends saw the cold glare that the diva was capable of.

"Santana, I am proud of how good this schools reputation is and _she _could threaten it so yes…I'm sure of what I'm asking you!"

She turned and started to walk away from her stunned friends for a few strides then turned back abruptly and there were tears in her eyes as she faced the two cheerio's again.

"And _yes _it is personally motivated! She broke several of Jesse's ribs, one of which went into his lung! He's healed but he cant perform anymore, his career was ruined before it started, and at the trial she just…_sat _there! She never said a word, just plead guilty and waited for the sentencing, Jesse never told me why and I…just…let's do this!"

She stormed off and with a last worried glance at Kurt and Blaine the two Cheerio's ran after their distraught friend, whatever happened senior year was obviously going to prove to be a bit more than just interesting.

Quinn pulled into the car park of the high school and steered the Indian to the bike slots, parking carefully she pulled out the bike lock and secured the treasured vehicle before she pulled off her crash helmet and ran her free hand through her short blonde hair. Luckily it was short enough that she could ruffle it back to it's bed head state, she felt a prickle across her shoulder blades that reminded her way too much of those _not _so pleasant times in Juvie and she looked up and around, it didn't take long to spy the three cheerleaders in the red and white of the award winning Cheerio's.

Letting out a breath, she couldn't say she was surprised, in fact she seemed to _vaguely _recognise the shorter of the two brunettes who was stood in the middle of the little trinity but she had no idea from where. What she hadn't expected was to feel a little something in her chest, something she hadn't felt in a long time, and something she sure as Hell wasn't ready for especially not with someone who was looking at her like they wanted to obliterate her very presence. And yet the odd light headed, breathless feeling would _not _subside. Reaching up she gripped the solid shape of her fathers dented dog tags where they hung underneath the white cotton of her shirt, as usual she felt a brief moment of peace before letting her hand drop. She wasn't doing this for _herself_, it was for her _parents_, hefting her messenger bag against her she tucked one hand into the top of her jeans pockets and the other held loosely onto her crash helmet as she headed for the doors. As soon as she reached them she turned to the waiting cheerio's and raised a cool eyebrow before drawling.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

The shorter of the two brunettes looked as if she wanted to lunge forward and she did in fact take several steps but the tall blonde held her back and it was the Latina who answered with a thin smile that Quinn felt sure _she _thought was tough, smirking she thought back to Angelica, now _that _was a scary ass Latina! At the smirk Santana scowled.

"You could _help _by turning around and walking away Fabray."

Sighing slightly Quinn adjusted her stance and easily switched her helmet to her left hand and allowed her right to curl into a loose fist, she _knew _this was going to happen sooner or later, it was almost a mirror image of how things worked in Juvie and she eyed her opponent from head to toe.

"So…_you're _the one huh? See this is why I never eat Cheerio's, leaves a bad taste in my mouth"

Santana did _not _like being eyed up, especially by some thug who had put one of her friends in the hospital, she may not show it but she cared an awful lot about Rachel, scowling darkly she set her hands on her hips. For her part Rachel narrowed her eyes at the comment about Cheerio's, filing it away for later.

"What do you mean by that…the one who is gonna kick your ass and prove to you that a year in Juvie aint noting compared to living in Lima heights Adjacent? cos the answers _yeah_…I'm the one."

The blonde reached out and gently massaged the Latina's shoulders as she looked thoughtfully at the girl in front of her, she obviously hadn't made her mind up. Quinn shook her head and looked around them noticing the students rushing around with heads lowered as they tried not to notice the confrontation…yep, _just _like Juvie! Rubbing her hand through her hair Quinn sighed and then looked back at them.

"Right, well I doubt you want to do this here do you?"

The question threw the threesome off their game and they blinked in surprise, the shorter blonde grinned wryly.

"I doubt you wanna get suspended or ya know…sent to Juvie. So how about we cut out the posturing and you give me a time and place so we can get on with this day. I appreciate you have a point to make and I'm not bothered about _letting _you make it but isn't it better to do it when it's convenient to what I'm sure are your pristine attendance records."

Rachel gasped angrily and stepped forward despite two pairs of arms grasping at her, she went almost toe to toe with Quinn and the blonde slightly widened her hazel eyes as she took in the previously silent girl's look of rage.

"You want us to make an appointment to kick your thuggish ass! Is _that _how it works now…because it sure as _Hell _isn't what you offered to Jesse St James is it, he didn't get the luxury of even knowing _why _you ruined his life!"

Her last three words were yelled but the reaction she had hoped for (either apologetic or nervous, maybe even guilty…_finally_) wasn't the reaction she got and Rachel found herself to be the one taking several steps back and swallowing nervously as those green eyes flecked with gold narrowed and pinned her. Quinn's voice when it emerged from suddenly tight vocal chords was thick with an anger Rachel had never heard on _anyone _before.

"If you're a friend of that selfish narcissistic jackass then you're just lucky I don't fucking put _you _in the hospital too, he got less than he deserved!"

Her jaw dropping the Diva was slowly gathering a head of steam that was about to explode, Brittany, spotting Sue Sylvester walking their way from the direction of the football field pulled Rachel towards her.

"Not _now _Rach…Sue's coming over, we'll settle this later."

With one last glare the little diva rejoined her friends, after a glance to Santana who looked a little stunned herself, the Latina seemed to mentally shake herself and glaring back at Quinn she growled out.

"Lunchtime under the bleachers Fabray, don't fucking back out of it or I'll make it worse when I DO find you!"

Quinn rolled her eyes at the three and was just about to walk into the school when she saw the familiar form of Sue Sylvester stop in front of her cheerio's and glance at them before turning to regard her, Quinn was hoping against hope that the woman had a lousy memory, sadly Sue's eyebrow raised and she glanced between them all again.

"Well, well what exactly are my clean cut and yet ambitious cheerio's doing talking to a an ex convict and, let's face it, rather mediocre cheerleader like Quinn Fabray?"

The three cheerleaders looked uncomfortable and Santana opened her mouth to reply but Quinn's voice answered the crazy track suited coach first.

"My bad, I asked them where the office was, turns out I was headed that direction anyway, so _I'm _gonna get on with doing that and _you _can issue your orders to your troops Coach Sylvester."

Sue narrowed her eyes and watched the retreating back of the girl in front of her for a long moment before turning to the three girls who looked confused at Quinn's bail out of them. They assumed it was because she was trying to lessen the severity of the ass kicking that she was gonna get later, after a moments silence Sue grunted.

"You three need to keep an eye on her, I _don't _want her leaking secrets to those Carmel rejects about our routines…also I don't trust her. You understand me Berry, you keep that girl in sight at _all _times!"

Rachel forced herself to nod in agreement then let her friends move her back into the school and towards their homeroom, there was no way she wanted to spend any more time than necessary around the brute that Fabray obviously was. However she also couldn't deny the instant pull she had felt towards the girl, one she thought was driven by her hatred of the blondes former act…but now she wasn't so sure, things weren't turning out how she expected them to. Quinn Fabray was almost polite and resigned to the fact that someone would want to hurt her and apart from the moment Rachel had named Jessie as her friend her eyes hadn't held the ignorant malice she was used to seeing in people like Azimio, instead those distinctive hazel eyes had seemed sad…troubled even and she hadn't expected that at all, now she felt thrown off kilter and unsure of her next move. But she could always delegate Santana and Brittany to follow Quinn, she let a huff out and soon was back into the swing of her lessons, though the blonde was never far from her mind, especially in math and English classes which she was annoyed to find she shared with her. She made a point of ignoring her, and as the teachers were all a little afraid of Sue Sylvester her Cheerio's got to do what they liked.

For her part Quinn stayed out of everyone's way, _she _didn't make an effort to talk and people seemed afraid to talk to her, she assumed that was because of the three cheerio's making it clear first thing that morning that she was persona non grata. She had gotten her locker assignment and then gone to her homeroom where she was _not _so pleased to find she was assigned to a seat next to the Latina cheerleader. They had exchanged glares but no words, well, _Santana _glared but Quinn just shook her head and looked away.

In chemistry she was partnered with a guy named Mike Chan and although he was obviously a jock as evidenced by the letterman, he smiled and introduced himself and seemed un phased by who she was even though he _must _know. In fact after they easily solved the tasks set them he grinned happily and told her he was glad to have a partner who could work as fast as him so he could perfect his Ace Combat skill's, at which point they both realised they loved games and soon she was on her way to making her first friend at McKinley.

She almost forgot about the less than fantastic start to the day until she realised it was lunch time, sighing she stopped by her locker to drop off her phone, watch and anything else that might get broken in a scuffle then she headed over to the football field and nodding to Mike who was sat in the bleachers with a girl who was obviously his other half she sighed and made her way underneath them where sure enough the three cheerio's were standing awaiting her, Santana raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, you _actually _showed up Fabray, gotta say I'm impressed, thought you would have wussed out, you know seeing as a face to face confrontation doesn't seem to be your thing?"

Rachel sneered in her direction and Brittany frowned, obviously upset by the negative emotions pinging around between the four girls. Quinn rubbed the back of her neck then unclipped the suspenders from her jeans (which Rachel noticed were decorated with that bizarre Toucan from the Froot Loops cereal) setting them to one side before speaking.

"So are you actually going to arrive at a point anytime soon or is this all just about practicing your banter?"

Scowling Santana glanced to Rachel who hesitated then narrowing her brown eyes she nodded reluctantly, she wasn't an advocate of violence usually but every time she looked at Quinn she saw Jesse beaten and bruised in his hospital bed and she wanted to do…_something_. Santana smirked happily and moved fast, her fist aimed for the blonde's face, surprisingly Quinn moved even faster and after ducking the blow she swerved her hip and yanking on the Latina's still outstretched arm pulled her it and onto the ground with a thud. She stepped back, _she _wasn't the one wanting to fight after all and she'd decided to defend herself but not throw a punch in retaliation for risk of being expelled on her first day.

Leaping to her feet Santana was _clearly _pissed and the other two cheerio's were confused, Quinn had obviously had the Latina at a disadvantage but instead of pushing it she'd moved back and waited for her to regain her feet. After growling angrily the Latina shot forward again, this time her fist clipped Quinn's temple but there wasn't enough power to do any damage, in retaliation Quinn ducked again and winced in sympathy as the cheerio's fist impacted with one of the steel supports of the bleachers. Yelping Santana leapt back and scowled even more angrily, Quinn smirked.

"Have I had enough of a beating yet?"

Brittany's eyes widened knowing how that comment would effect her best friend and she nervously gripped Rachel's forearm as Santana lashed out blindly with both fists and feet. Quinn was annoyingly fast at getting out of the way of the blows and she just kept up the dodging and let the Latina wear herself out. Rachel was scowling angrily not liking the way this was going, and although it went against _every _notion of fair play that the brunette had ever held dear she found herself waiting until…_there_! She kicked a foot out and Quinn tumbled over backwards landing with a thump that stunned her, Santana was quick to react and landing beside the ex convict she landed a blow directly to Quinn's mouth, following it up with another in almost exactly the same place, she then stood and kicking the blonde over onto her stomach she landed with her knee in the middle of Quinn's back and twisted her arm up hard.

Despite not wanting to give _any _of them the satisfaction of crying out, plain old bad luck meant that Santana twisted the arm that had once been dislocated and she yelped with pain. Rachel was surprised that she felt no happiness or satisfaction at the other girls pain, in fact she felt faintly nauseous as she knelt down close to her, Quinn's mouth was pouring blood which was mixing with the dirt, especially because Santana had moved Quinn's head to the side so Rachel could talk to her and was holding it painfully against the dry packed dirt of the floor. Swallowing nervously the diva asked hoarsely.

"Tell me _why _you did it!"

Quinn was in pain and the last thing she wanted to do was explain things to someone who was obviously a good friend of that murdering asshole, taking a breath in she spat out a mouthful of mud and blood and refused to answer, Rachel almost whispered in her eagerness to finally find out the truth.

"God damn you Quinn Fabray! You aren't in any position to refuse, **ANSWER ME**!"

Closing her eyes Quinn swallowed and tried to see if she could shift the pissed Latina off of her back somehow, at the sense of movement underneath her Santana yanked the arm that was behind Quinn's back even higher and the blonde turned her bloody face into the dirt so it muffled the scream of pain as she felt the already damaged tendons stretching. Even Rachel flinched and was surprised when she let out a sympathetic sob at Quinn's pain.

"Just tell me, _please_…he's my best friend and he wont tell me and I just want to know, you were a model student before, so why would you do something so,…so _vile _to someone as harmless as Jesse?"

Forgetting her own pain Quinn turned her face back to Rachel and scowled so hard her lips split all over again and fresh blood poured out onto the already stained dirt.

"Harmless, did you say he was fucking _harmless_! You don't know the first fucking thing about that animal, he's a slut that uses women and casts them aside, not caring about the wreckage he makes of their lives!"

At the hate filled words spilling from the ruined mouth of the former cheerleader Rachel swallowed, she had _never _heard such hate, she knew that Jesse had the tendency to go through women like candy but Quinn didn't strike her as the type to fall for that sort of act and even if she had her reaction was _more _than disproportionate to the act.

"You beat him into a coma because he _dumped _you?"

At the incredulous tone and mere suggestion that Quinn would have touched that guy with anything less than a mile long barge pole the hazel eyed girl found herself scowling.

"I wouldn't let him anywhere near me! And you know what? you can kick the crap out of me all you want but I'm _not _telling you because it isn't my story to tell and I made a _promise_!…just ask him about Gabrielle Armaro."

With that the last of Quinn's energy left her and she just let her head slump down into the dirt, Rachel frowned and looking at Santana motioned for the Latina to let the blonde go which she did and then leapt upright. As soon as the grip on her arm was gone Quinn rolled onto her back and reached up with her right hand to grip her left shoulder as she turned her face to the side and spat more dirty blood out. Rachel felt sick when she saw the pain on the girls face and found herself swaying slightly, Brittany reached out and held onto her friend carefully so she would stay upright. Santana frowned and massaged her fist as they looked down at the blonde ex convict. Swallowing Rachel found herself reaching into her backpack and she fished out her first aid kit, she couldn't bring herself to hand it to the girl but she dropped it at her feet, and now in a half sitting position Quinn laughed then winced.

"You _have _to be fucking kidding me!"

Swallowing, Rachel motioned to the other Cheerio's and they started to move away from the bleeding Quinn who just shook her head and eyed the first aid kit with a mix of amusement and scorn, just before she left Rachel turned back and spoke softly.

"Use the first aid kit, you could get an infection in your lip otherwise. I might be Jesse's friend but I'm _not _like you, I wont refuse to aid you or walk away without offering an explanation, at least you know why you're being attacked…and for the record, Froot Loops are full of nasty chemicals and therefore much worse than Cheerio's."

Quinn snorted and levered herself to an upright position so she could hang onto the steel support above her and stand.

"No, _I _at least fight my own battles instead of using a thug. I got your warning Cheerio so what say we just stay the _fuck _away from each other from now on okay?"

Without another word the three cheerleaders left, once she knew they were out of earshot she let out a pained gasp and reluctantly picked up the first aid kit heading over to the bathrooms, she heard a surprised yell of her name and then pounding feet. Half expecting another attack she tensed but was surprised when Mike came skidding to a stop next to her.

"Goddamn Q you look like shit, what _happened_?"

Attempting a smile and shrug she ended up just hissing in pain and she mumbled.

"Turns out Jesse has some friends here and they aren't too pleased to see me, maybe you shouldn't befriend me Mike, last thing I want is you catching flack for hanging round me!"

The jock snorted and rolled his eyes as he helped her through to the locker rooms and into the medical room where there was a much better supply of equipment, once she was sat down Mike resumed speaking as he passed her some water to swill and spit.

"I have never let anyone tell me who to be friends with and I don't intend to start now, I knew you by reputation before it all kicked off and as far as I'm concerned there are two sides to every story, no one ever got _yours _and it's no ones business. I take people as I see them and I like you, besides I need a decent wingman for the co op missions"

Smiling despite herself Quinn shook her head and finished rinsing her mouth out as she dabbed her healing lip dry, taking out some medical sealant from the first aid cupboard he approached Quinn and winced sympathetically.

"This is going to hurt okay, but it _will _stop it from splitting again at least, feel free to turn the air blue, _I _always do."

As soon as he finished applying it the blonde did just that and Mike smiled slightly as he waited for it to dry, once it was he handed over an ice pack which she pressed gratefully to her face and he draped another over her left shoulder without comment, she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I felt the heat coming off of it, I know a screwed shoulder when I see one Q, do you want some painkillers or something I think I might have some Percocet left from my busted knee."

Reaching out the ex cheerleader caught hold of the edge of Mike's T shirt and she stopped him, when he looked back at her she spoke quietly.

"Thanks, ya know for being there and for not…_asking _me about it."

He broke into a bright smile and shoved his hands in his pockets almost shyly.

"No problem, like I said I _like _you and you're a fellow gamer and we totally need to stick together…now wait there and I'll go grab you a top, your shirt looks kind of like a butchers apron right now."

Quinn glanced down and frowned all of a sudden then grimaced.

"You're right, bin for that I think…not even my mom's magic with washing techniques can shift that."

After a few moments Mike reappeared with a McKinley athletic department hoody and handed it over.

"It's one of mine so don't worry about being accused of stealing it or anything, just give it back when you're finished with it…what the hell are you going to say about your busted lip though?"

Quinn shrugged and then sighed slightly before running her hand through her hair to fix it as she ripped the ruined shirt off and replaced it with the hoody, before she could cover it though, she knew from the low hiss that Mike had noticed the four inch long scar on her forearm, she knew he wouldn't mention it because he wasn't that type of guy but oddly _that _was the very reason she offered him a sort of explanation.

"Yeah, long blonde haired cheerleaders are popular in Juvie…it took a while for the message to get across that I refused to be _anyone's _property."

He shook his head slightly and patted her good shoulder comfortingly before walking with her back towards the lockers, there was only five minutes until the end of lunch so she decided to skip eating and have something during her free period which was after chemistry. Thanking Mike again she headed to her next class trying not to smile bitterly as people noticed her bruised and swollen mouth.

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly for Quinn, she had chemistry, a free period during which she settled down in the library with a thick book on engineering and taking discreet bites of her lunch. After that it was English which she was way ahead in anyway, then it came time to leave. Thankfully she grabbed her crash helmet and slinging her messenger bag on she walked out ignoring the pointed glances of the three cheerio's who were on their way to the gym. Without a backward glance she went to her bike the only thing on her mind was getting out of McKinley.

Rachel glanced after the ex cheerleader and she was annoyed with herself to feel a stab of guilt when she took in the developing bruise on the girls lip. Swallowing the guilt down she turned to Santana and Brittany and said three words that shocked the other two girls to the extent they had to lean on each other.

"I'm skipping practice!"

Santana stroked a hand through the distraught Brittany's hair and turned to her Captain.

"What the _Hell _Berry, coach will pitch a fit if you ditch on her, what am I supposed to tell her when she asks where her head cheerio is?"

Rachel sighed and just shook her head feeling flustered.

"Tell her I'm following Fabray, she'll buy that…I have to find out what she meant, I _have _to find the girl she mentioned and come to the final answer about what the Hell happened that day!"

Santana took Rachel by the elbow and leant in closer to her speaking in a low but definitely harsh tone.

"Listen to _me _Rachel, she just said that shit because she was getting her ass handed to her, it doesn't mean anything!"

Rachel pulled her arm out of her friends grasp and crossing her arm she fixed a glare on her.

"Santana, she didn't _act _like a bully, the whole time you were going after her she didn't once hit back at you, the only reason you managed to get hold of her was because _I _played dirty and tripped her!"

Ignoring the flush of embarrassment on the Latina's face at having that pointed out to her, Rachel carried on, determined to make her point.

"We put an end to bullying in this school and _you _as well as _I _know that bullies crumble, they cry, they shout threats and they bluster but they _don't _just take it…she _let _you hit her Santana, the only time she looked angry was when I mentioned Jesse…I just think that if he wont tell me what happened and she wont…then that girl is the only way of finding out that I have left to me."

Throwing her hands up in exasperation Santana cursed again before grudgingly asking.

"Why is it so _important _for you to know anyway? It wont change anything, what's done is done, you cant bring back Jesse's voice anymore than you can make Fabray less of a thug!"

Rachel's patience snapped at that.

"_Why_? How about the fact that unlike you violence doesn't come easily to me and I feel bad for tripping Fabray and letting you beat up on her! How about if I want to find out if I was right to do so or if I just did something I wont _ever _forgive myself for! I was angry when I heard she was coming here and lord alone knows but I may _still _be angry if I find out the reason she hurt Jesse was pure self interest…but I have to know for certain! No one ever knew why she did what she did to him, the whole thing has been surrounded in mystery since it happened and I'm _sick _of it. I wont ruin her life if there's no good reason to do so!"

Santana blinked in mild shock at the tirade of words that just flew from Rachel's mouth, the diva was breathless and flushed and on the edge of tears by the time she finished and the Latina realised belatedly, just how important this was to her friend. Taking a deep breath to calm down she reached out and lay a hand on the smaller girls forearm.

"Okay, go do what you need to do, I'll cover for you okay? Just…let me know what you _do _find out?"

Blinking back tears of thanks the little diva hugged first Santana then Brittany before running off, turning to her girlfriend Santana shook her head.

"Why do I get the feeling this _wont _end well? I mean sure Fabray didn't act like any other bully but…does that really mean anything?"

At first the blonde dancer thought the question was rhetorical but as she took in the confusion in Santana's brown eyes she reached out and touched a palm to her cheek gently.

"I think…that there is more to this story than anyone knows, Quinn has those type of eyes. The type that have a lot of hurt and more knowledge in them than they should, she's different San, I don't know how, I just _feel _it…and I'm not sure how Rachel will cope with whatever news she finds out."

Sighing slightly Santana slid an arm round Brit's waist and they made their way out of the hallway towards the gym and their no doubt punishing training session, both of them thinking about the situation which seemed to inextricably bind Rachel, Jesse and Quinn together.

When the bell to end the horrendous day finally went off Quinn couldn't have been happier and she decided to take the longer way to work than normal, riding helped to clear her head and after the day she just had, she _definitely _needed to clear her head. Having a part time job to 'keep her out of trouble' was also part of the terms of her early release, luckily one of her fathers buddies worked on the private airstrip just outside Lima that all the flying schools used and he had secured her a job to help out in the hangars and some of the maintenance jobs on the actual planes. She took half the money she would have been given for the job because one of the schools had agreed to give her lessons on Sunday mornings in exchange for her help.

She actually hoped that Steve _wasn't _there when she got there today, she knew he would notice her fat lip and that she was moving her shoulder awkwardly again, and unlike her mother he _wouldn't _hold back on pressing for information about what had happened. If he thought she'd been fighting again he would go ballistic, while her mom supplied the warmth and guidance Steve had very much stepped in with the discipline to keep her on the straight and narrow, he took the job seriously as he had been so close to her dad and he knew that Quinn could get very headstrong sometimes.

Parking the bike she nodded to several of the other ground crew while she slipped into her oil stained coveralls and a faded baseball cap to keep her hair out of her face while she worked. To her immense relief Steve was across the runway working on a particularly difficult Piper Cub that had decided to stall on every other flight. She turned the speaker dock up high and slid in a CD of the Mama's & Papa's it was one of the CD's her parents had listened to a lot and she knew the tracks word for word after years of listening to it on various family trips and holiday's.

She was busily washing down an old Chipmunk when she heard Steve's distinctive voice heading into the hangar, sighing internally she wiped her hands on her coverall's leg's and forced a small smile and nod in his direction, making sure to keep the brim of her hat low enough that the shadow from it would _hopefully _mask the split lip. For a while she was convinced she had gotten away with it, as after acknowledging her he carried on into the office and started filling out his timesheets and organising the parts he needed to order for the damaged Cub across the way. After an hour however he poked his head out of the little office near the top of the hangar and called down.

"_Fabray_, get your ass up here!"

Grimacing Quinn nonetheless set her sponge back down and taking the cleaning items to one side she rolled up her baseball cap and stuck it in the leg pocket of the coveralls before running her hands through her hair and heading up to the small office. Seeing him immersed in paperwork again she hoped for the best and knocked on the door frame. He motioned her in and to the seat opposite him before finishing up what he was typing, he eventually looked up and sat back in his chair, eyes mild as he folded his hands on his belly.

"You want to tell me what happened, or do I need to go and talk to the principal?"

Blanching, the blonde sighed again and wondered why one look from her de facto father could make her feel about six years old again.

"No…it wasn't me, I did what you said and I kept my head down and tried not to attract any attention but, it turns out that Jesse kid's best friend goes to McKinley."

Steve sighed this time and ran one of his thick hands through his hair which still retained it's buzz cut despite the fact he had left the forces over five years ago. He took a long look at his best friends kid and _worried_, Quinn was a smart kid, a good kid who'd made a really dumb, impulsive decision. He was doing his best to help her back on her feet because he knew what she wanted and he knew he could help her get there, _if _she overcame certain obstacles.

"Does your mom know you're working tonight? You're doing extra hours and if I find out you're ditching schoolwork to play out here around planes I'll have you tagged and slap a curfew on you, you _hear _me Spitfire?"

She smiled ever so slightly at his referencing the name all her fathers squadron had given her, there was a long tradition of call signs among pilots and eight year old Quinn Fabray had earned hers when she let loose at another pilot at one of the family BBQ's, she had no idea at the time that he and her father _always _joked around and thought his comment (which she couldn't even remember now) was serious, after her dad had explained things to her the guy in question had just laughed and announced that Fabray's kid had already earned her call sign. Ever since then they _all _called her that…unless she was in the shit. She looked up and nodded at him.

"Yes Sir, I texted her to let her know I was picking up an extra shift, after today I just wanted to…unwind and being around planes relaxes me, you know that."

He raised an eyebrow knowing there was more to it than that and after the appropriate amount of nervous fidgeting and Steve's unrelenting glare she let out her breath and sagged in her chair.

"And I didn't want to let her see my face, she'd be _so _disappointed and I don't want to see that look in her eyes again. And I'm being gods honest here when I tell you that I really _did _try to avoid it! In fact I was defending myself and the other girl wasn't landing a punch…until I got tripped and from that point I had to take it or fight back, and I promised I _wouldn't _fight."

Staying silent Steve reached into the little cooler by his desk and passed across a can of Mug Root Beer and a package of peanut butter cups, the blonde smiled and accepted them gratefully waiting for him to speak again, after he had taken several sips of his Pepsi he did so.

"I didn't want you to _fight _no, but you also shouldn't have to lie back and take a kicking…Spitfire, is it going to be an issue for you at that school, and be honest with me."

Sighing Quinn was inclined to agree just so she could walk away from it, it would mean home study which _sucked _but…she remembered the look on the head Cheerio's face, the way she'd left the first aid kit for her and she suddenly wasn't so sure. On the one hand the fact she got a beating when she hadn't _done _anything riled her, but…it's not like Rachel would have been expecting the person who attacked her best friend to walk into the school and she was only too familiar with the concept of letting your temper get away from you. Finishing the mouthful of candy she swallowed and shook her head with a small frown.

"I don't think so…she didn't seem, well I mean…it's difficult to judge, she ordered me to be attacked yeah, but then she…almost seemed sorry for it. She even gave me a first aid kit and she didn't know _what _he'd done or that I'd be there, in her school so maybe it was just a knee jerk reaction."

Steve watched her carefully and eventually gave a small smile.

"Okay but if it gets worse you tell me, you may be sworn off fighting but it doesn't mean you have to become someone's punching bag either, just take it easy Spitfire, and go home and see your mom she worries about you."

Nodding in agreement Quinn gathered her trash together from her snacks and was halfway out the door when his voice stopped her, unusually soft.

"Maybe you should think about telling that girl the truth, you need to tell _someone _and lord knows it hasn't been your mom or even your defence lawyer. _Whatever _the reason kiddo you need to face it and then let it go."

Swallowing hard Quinn managed a brief nod before dropping her trash in the bin next to the door and hurrying out of the office to change and get the Hell out of there. She knew he cared about her, if it hadn't been for Steve and her mom she would have gotten a _much _harsher sentence but she couldn't tell them, she couldn't admit what she'd let happen. Scowling at her own inability to stop things she rammed her crash helmet on and managed to reach a hundred as she roared down the side of the runway towards the road, she knew she'd catch hell for it from Steve the next time she saw him but right at that moment she couldn't care less.

When she got home her mother was out at one of her teaching seminars and so she picked up the note her mom left her and smiled as she warmed the macaroni cheese and chicken (one of her favourites) as she was headed out of the kitchen her plate and a glass of milk balanced in her hands she saw the other note on the message board and groaned in realisation.

_Don't forget what tomorrow is pumpkin, I'll ring the school and tell them you're checking in with the court for the day, sleep in and I'll see you for dinner xx_

Just what she needed on top of everything else, a reminder that she really _wasn't _like most other girls and she kicked the door closed with a little more vigour than was actually warranted. Yet another time she missed her dad, at least he had been helping her learn how to deal with '_it' _and she smiled bitterly as she realised she was probably one of the only girls in the world who actually _wished _she had periods, normal ones that is instead of growing something that really _shouldn't _be there.

She was only glad that both her parents treated it as normally as they could and that her dad had been so patient and clinical about the whole thing, it was the one thing that helped her get through it when it had first happened. She could still hear his explanation now and she smiled genuinely for a moment as she moved into her room setting her dinner on the desk. _think of it like this Spitfire, a period is the body's way of preparing then clearing the womb for conception, you just grow something that deals with conception from the other angle, it's normal in an __**abnormal **__way!_ she'd wanted to roll her eyes at that but when she'd seen his pleased grin she smiled and hugged him instead…but it still sucked. Lord knows if those Cheerio's ever got wind of her little genetic quirk her life at McKinley was guaranteed to be over, the tall blonde might not ruin her and she still wasn't sure about the cute, _whoa_! Not _cute _just…different…little brunette, but the Latina definitely would. Sighing she settled down at her desk and having already finished her homework she delved back into the book on engineering as she ate and tried to forget about school and her own somewhat askew biology.

Across town Rachel was _also _sequestered in her room, her window closed, phone turned off, do not disturb sign on the door and noise cancelling ear defenders over her ears. Normally she _only _did this when she was writing song's or studying for an important test but this was…_more _important in a way and she turned back to her laptop screen. So far she had pulled up anything she could find in the local newspaper archives about the attack on Jesse, at the time it had garnered quite a bit of interest because it wasn't often a clean cut cheerleader let loose and beat up on one of the towns golden boys. Setting her familiar rage aside as she read over the transcripts of the attack and the extent of the damage, she scoured the articles for any information on motive but so far there was nothing.

She had learnt that earlier in that year Quinn had lost her father when he was killed in action overseas and that caused the little lump in her chest that had taken root under the bleachers to twinge uncomfortably and she shifted for a long moment. Apart from that there was _very _little information about the girl, exemplary student, gifted in the sciences and maths, aside from cheerleading she was also a track star and part of the school band, activities that never normally mixed. But as to motive or reason for the attack she could find nothing, setting the results of that search to one side she decided to go after the name Quinn had spat out earlier.

Gabrielle Armaro, she typed in the name and waited patiently, she was pleasantly surprised when she got a match, even more so when she learnt the girl was a student at Carmel and one of Quinn's fellow cheerleaders, heading to the schools website she frowned when the name only brought up pictures and articles from just over a year ago and then there was nothing. Not that a simple thing like _that _was going to stand in the way of Rachel Barbra Berry! She turned away from the desk and ran downstairs to route through the phone book, there were only six Armaro's in Lima so it shouldn't take long to find the one she wanted. She got one wrong number, one disconnect, three negative responses and she left a message on the last one's answering machine.

Sighing the brunette decided that was as much as she was going to find out tonight and so she went back to her homework, she _knew _she would catch heat for skipping cheerio's practice but this was more important. Ever since Jesse had been attacked he had withdrawn slightly and while that was understandable in some ways it was also far from what she had expected. Jesse was by nature a showman and even if he couldn't perform he wasn't one to shy away from the limelight but despite numerous attempts by local papers and TV to interview the 'brave young man on his road to recovery' he had refused _all _of them. He had also ducked a lot of her calls and visits and the last she heard he was planning to stay in L.A where he had gone to attend college.

She briefly debated calling him but knew he would most likely not tell her anything else than he already had which was nothing. From Quinn's words earlier she would have presumed that given Jesse's flamboyant and womanising ways that he had strung her along then dumped her but…there was no way that she could _ever _envisage someone like Quinn being with someone like Jesse, in fact she got more of a gay vibe from the blonde ex convict than she did around Kurt and Blaine! Normally she would just ask as McKinley was an open school, however, given how the two of them had started out she doubted that asking was an option, not that she wanted to…of course she didn't!

Though she couldn't deny how those damn hazel eyes drew her in every time they swept their gaze past her face, but not in an _attraction _sense because she wasn't that way inclined…she had Finn after all and although he had his, um _issues_, when it came to intimacy they were meant to be together, him the quarterback and her, the head cheerleader it was almost part of high school _law _that they end up together. True she despaired that the football player would ever make up his mind over which college he intended to apply to and she half feared the day he asked her to stay here with him instead of pursuing her dreams in attending NYADA and then blazing a trail through Broadway. She loved him and it felt comfortable but past high school she just didn't _know_, especially when he didn't exactly get her excited in the least.

Sighing she became annoyed when those green eyes flecked with gold kept intruding into her thoughts, she _hated _the fact she couldn't shake that final look out of her mind, the ex convict had looked a mix of resigned and upset by what had happened to her but even so she hadn't fought back. After what had been done to Jesse she knew that without a doubt the blonde could have done serious damage but instead she had only defended herself from Santana's blow but refused to throw any of her own and even when the Latina was down and out Quinn hadn't pressed her advantage and that didn't mesh with the idea the diva had in her brain of the cold blooded thug. It didn't make _sense _and if there was one thing she found irresistible it was a puzzle. Shaking off the image of the tall athlete she tried to concentrate on her math problems but after a while gave up. She was confused, frustrated and…a little worked up in a _different _way…so she texted Finn, once she explained that her fathers were out he agreed to be there in five minutes. Quickly changing into scandalously short shorts and a thin white tank top she waited for the doorbell to ring and ran downstairs to let him in. it was thinking of Finn that had gotten her worked up, that was all, _Finn _her boyfriend the quarterback, not the irritating and dramatic Quinn Fabray with the haunting eyes and slender yet subtly muscled body…_shit_! She shook her head and masking her confused scowl with a sultry smile she ripped open the door to reveal the lumbering footballer with the lopsided dopey grin.

"Hey Rach, sorry I missed you at school today but Brit said you had something going down, I'm here now though!"

Rachel tried to maintain the state of arousal that she had felt minutes earlier but his dopey grin seemed less _cute _and more of a _leer _right at that moment, unperturbed however she showed him in and they went straight up to her room.

"So, did you have a good day Finn, I trust you handed in all your assignments on time and had a good tryout for the basketball team?"

He shrugged and settled himself on the bed reaching a hand out to pull her on top of him, obviously he wasn't here for talk then, though to be fair she hadn't called him over for talk and she willingly lay over him and they started to make out. His kisses had always been a little sloppy but she could overlook that, and she took one of his large hands and directed it to her breast which he squeezed none too gently and moaned into their kiss. She moved her legs so she was astride one of his and lowered herself to create pressure against the part of her that felt over heated. As her centre met his muscled thigh she let out a staggered breath, _maybe _it would be okay this time. Reaching down she rubbed him through his jeans feeling how his cock was already straining against the denim, she gave a light squeeze and was halfway through stroking the hard length when she felt _it _happen, he shuddered under her and she felt the warmth under the denim and knew he'd jizzed himself again, after less than five fucking _minutes_! She pulled back as he let his hand drop from her breast and he smiled dopily at her already looking sleepy.

"Thanks Rach that was awesome, I'm glad you called me over I've missed doing that with you."

He reached up and drew her into another sloppy kiss before sliding from the bed and reaching for his jacket. She looked at him incredulously and sputtered a few times as he obliviously went into her bathroom to clean himself up.

"Finn Hudson are you telling me you're going home…_now?_!"

He came back out of the bathroom and finished wiping his hands before casting the crumpled towel to one side. He looked confused and shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Well…_yeah _I have practice early tomorrow morning babe you know that?"

Tamping her temper down the diva took in the rumpled bed, damp towel and stupid smile on his face and let out a long breath, she reminded herself that it wasn't _his _fault, he was just very sensitive and hormonal. Forcing a smile she nodded.

"Of course, well maybe you could let yourself out though, I'm sort of tired."

He chuckled at her and puffed his chest out, she almost rolled her eyes at his belief that the reason she was tired was because he had rocked her world, a fact only compounded when he shot her what was meant to be a sexy wink.

"No problem babe, see you at school tomorrow."

He disappeared down the stairs whistling to himself, once she was sure he had left the house she waited for the sound of his beat up dodge to pull away and the noise to fade then she rolled onto her stomach and screamed into the pillow. Scowling she rolled back over and blindly opened her night stand drawer, after a moment she pulled her rabbit out and checking the batteries she sighed in resignation and wondered if she was the only girl in Lima who had a _supposed _studly jock of a boyfriend and yet had to result to pleasing herself with a vibrator…_**Every. Single. Time!**_

The next morning Rachel had almost managed to forget her disappointments from last night, firstly with her search for the mysterious Gabrielle and then the damp squib that was Finn. However. when her cell phone rang with an unidentified number she frowned and answered it cautiously.

"Hi, we ah received a message last night from this number asking about our daughter?"

Rachel's heart beat suddenly faster in excitement as she remembered her search and she scrambled for her pen and some paper as she remembered her cover story.

"Yes that's right my name is Rachel…Cherry and I'm ah doing a paper for college on the lives of fairly different social groups within high school and someone suggested your daughter would be a good person to talk to in regards to how the cheerleaders are viewed by the other groups within high school?"

Mentally she crossed her fingers and frowned slightly when she heard the unsteady breath on the other end of the phone, there was the clearing of a throat and the voice continued.

"I'm sorry to say that _wont _be possible, I'm afraid our daughter isn't with us anymore…she lives up at the Twin Peaks facility so you will have to find someone else to help you with your article."

Before Rachel could respond the phone was hung up and she blew out a long breath and swallowed. Twin Peaks was a mental health facility, what the _Hell _had happened between Jesse and this girl? Rather than be put off by this she actually felt more and more determined to get to the bottom of things and when Santana and Brittany pulled up outside to take her to school she ran out still in her sleep wear and motioned for them to come upstairs before heading back inside. She waited impatiently and once Santana walked in her face stormy and mouth open ready to argue Rachel just held up a hand and stopped her.

"Santana I need you to get me Fabray's address!"

The Latina looked at her wild eyed friend and then her girlfriend before rubbing both hands down her face.

"Firstly…_what_, and secondly…actually no there is no second just a big fat fucking _what_!"

Sighing the diva turned round in her desk chair and pushed her laptop towards her friend.

"I know you can get into the school database and I need her address, I'm so close to finding out exactly what happened and I wont stop now. But I need to talk Fabray again and to do that I need your help so _please _find me her address!"

Throwing her hands up in surrender the Latina muttered in a mix of Spanish and English curse words as she started typing out a bunch of commands that Rachel couldn't even _begin _to understand. After a few minutes she turned the screen back to Rachel who scribbled the address down before grinning and snapping the laptop lid down.

"Thank you, you should go or you'll be late for practice."

This time Santana wasn't budging until she got an explanation and she planted herself directly in front of Rachel trapping her in the desk chair. Propping her hands on her hips and scowling she began to speak rapidly.

"Okay this is _enough _crazy Berry! You need to tell us what the Hell is going on here? Yesterday you wanted me to pound Fabray into the dirt and then you go all…Sherlock Holmes to solve a case that _really _isn't a case! What the Hell is up with you?"

Rubbing her forehead in confusion the little diva sighed and wondered how to explain something that she didn't even understand herself. The urge to solve the motive behind the attack wasn't new but the urge to get to know the person who had actually done it _was _something completely different. But what she had seen yesterday just didn't fit with the image she had spent over a year nursing, sighing again she sat back in her seat and chewed on her lip before replying.

"I just want to know the truth guys, and I think that there's more to this story than anyone apart from Quinn knows. I looked up the name of the girl she mentioned and she's in a mental health facility now, and somehow her being in _there _is connected to why Quinn attacked Jesse and why he's determined never to come back to Lima…I need to know!"

The Latina looked at her thoughtfully for a second and had to admit to a certain amount of curiosity on her own part as well. When they had confronted the ex convict yesterday even _she _had been surprised by the lack of attitude and fight the girl had. Not to mention that if she had done a year in Juvie the last thing she would want to do would be go back to high school when there were other ways of getting a high school diploma. She took a step back and after blowing a breath out nodded reluctantly.

"Do you want us to come with you?"

Rachel furrowed her brow as she considered it but eventually she shook her head reluctantly and explained.

"No, I mean I need you to go to cover for me but also I think if we all show up again in a group she's going to think that we're wanting another fight."

Nodding in agreement the two cheerio's finally agreed to cover for her with Sue and the principal so long as she agreed to text them with regular updates. Once they left Rachel dressed quickly in her usual casual attire of a skirt and sweater vest over a shirt before checking the time. If she moved quickly she would get to Fabray's before she left for school, she was hoping that if she could catch her then they could maybe walk together and talk at the same time. Grabbing up what she had collected information wise so far she tucked it into her Cheerio's bag and set out on mission '**Truth'**.

Quinn who was oblivious to Rachel's plans for that day was lying in bed tiredly and waiting for the painkillers to take effect. The cramping in her lower abdomen and groin was intensely burning that day and although '_it' _had finished making it's appearance a few moments ago it would be another half an hour before the pain receded totally, at which point she would finally be able to get some decent sleep! Her mom had popped up when she got home and placed a pack of Advil on the side along with a bottle of water, she'd kissed her on the forehead and headed quietly to bed. Quinn had been feigning sleep at the time, she was too nervous about seeing her mom's reaction to the damage to her lip so she had pretended to sleep even though for the first time since she had been 'initiated' into life in Juvie she really wanted her mom to just hold her.

Briefly she flirted with the idea of going downstairs to get something to eat as she was still hungry but with the Advil taking effect she was in that pleasant floaty half asleep half awake state and the agonising burn of the change was becoming nothing but a memory. Which is why when the doorbell went just moments later she swore out loud at being jerked back from the edge of sleep, rubbing her eyes she checked the clock on her nightstand. 7.10 _definitely _too early for anyone important and it's not like she knew anyone at McKinley well enough yet to expect any of them to turn up, even Mike. She decided to ignore it and settled back down, this lasted all of five seconds before the bell rang again…then _again _followed by persistent knocking. Scowling angrily the blonde sat up and slid out of bed reaching for her sweatpants, she slid them on and stomped downstairs trying to adjust herself adequately, if she had bothered to look through the peephole she quite possibly _would _have ignored it and gone back to bed, instead she ripped the door open and then did a double take as she took in the form of the head Cheerio on her doorstep, she wasn't quite sure how long she stood there in the doorway in shock but it must have been a while because her guest was growing irate.

"I know it's rude of me to just show up but I believe it's common courtesy to invite your guests inside?"

Sarcasm overpowered the mix of shock and disbelief she had been in and half bowing she gestured for the Cheerio to come in.

"By all means come in HC, you want me to alert the butler to lay out the fine china and the best silver for afternoon tea later?"

Huffing Rachel waited for Quinn to lead her through and into what turned out to be the kitchen, the house wasn't what she had expected _at all_. It was modern, well kept but lived in, a proper family home in other words and she helped herself to a seat at the table when it became apparent the blonde wasn't going to offer her one. For her part Quinn decided as she was up she may as well eat and rummaged in the cupboard for her beloved Froot Loops, Rachel pulled a face as she took in the brightly coloured box and couldn't help murmuring.

"You do realise that you're consuming more chemicals and additives than cereal and milk when you eat those don't you?"

Pausing with her hand half on the bright red box, Quinn spared a half hearted glare for the brunette cheerleader and muttered back.

"I believe you may have already mentioned that yeah…and they still taste better than cheerio's."

Yanking out the box she dug out a serving bowl and filled it with what looked like half the box before adding milk. She tried her best not to smirk as she took in her unexpected guests look of disgust, after a moments pause she grabbed a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and passed it across the table to Rachel along with a glass. She started eating while she waited for the diva to talk, after half an hour, when it became apparent that Rachel was in no rush to do so Quinn sighed and sat back.

"_Why _are you here, isn't it against your morals to be alone with a thug without your red and white mafia?"

Swallowing slightly at the pointed remark Rachel toyed with her glass and thought how best to word what she wanted to say.

"I looked into that girl you mentioned…Gabrielle."

Quinn froze for a moment and then looked back down at the remainder of her cereal and although she had lost her appetite, eating it gave her something other than Rachel and her own memories to concentrate on. Rachel sighed internally and decided to forge on as she watched the blonde across from her chew on the last few mouthfuls of the cereal.

"What happened to her, _why _is she in Twin Peaks."

At that the blonde looked up and finishing her mouthful she narrowed her eyes.

"You better not have been up there or I swear that I will break your freaking nose _Cheerio_! don't go up there, the _last _thing she needs is one of that douche bag's friends turning up to stir everything up again."

Rachel found her spine stiffening at the tone in Quinn's voice, she was the head Cheerio, _no one _spoke to her like that!

"I haven't gone up there no…at least not _yet, _but I will if you don't tell me what happened! don't you think this whole incident has been shrouded in mystery long enough…don't you _want _to tell someone?"

The diva was surprised to hear the gentle tone in her own voice as she said the last six words and she realised with a sudden clarity that as much as she, Jesse and apparently this Gabrielle were hurt by the incident…so was Quinn. She watched as the emotions warred on the girls face and eventually she sat back.

"_Why _does it matter so much to you, I hurt your friend and I went away for it…surely that's as far as your concern goes, God knows you were happy enough yesterday to have me taken care of and then forgotten about so what changed."

It was less of a question and more of a demand for answers and Rachel was suddenly nervous as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then chewed her lip for a while.

"You…aren't what I expected, I acted rashly and for that I apologise. I just got so _mad _when I saw you and…anyway I'm sorry and now I just want to know _why _you did it Quinn, I looked into your past and you weren't violent, in fact you're a bit of a hidden geek, but not the sort to do something like that and so I wondered."

Quinn stifled a yawn wincing at the pain in her lip and feeling a surge of pleasure at the cheerleaders uncomfortable look…but it only lasted a minute as she remembered how she had also lost her temper and exactly what it had led to. Sighing she stood up and put her bowl in the sink before blinking away the effects of lack of sleep and the painkillers.

"Look, Rachel, you don't know _what _you're asking me, if Jesse is as good a friend as you seem to think then maybe you should just keep that in your head okay. If he wanted to tell you the truth then fine but my side of it might seem a little…well, _not _like the guy you know."

Not exactly eloquent but she _was _tired and that wonderful feeling of warm lassitude was drifting over her…eyes widening she suddenly remembered what _that _normally meant and so she moved closer to the kitchen counter and leant on it just in case her little co pilot decided to salute. She noticed Rachel's frown and despite the heated blush she shrugged.

"I didn't sleep well last night, sorry…I guess it's catching up with me."

The diva eyed the flushing girl and raised an eyebrow but she didn't want to leave without finding out what was going on, not after all the work she put into it.

"I'm not going until you explain what happened! I was up all night finding this stuff out and now I'm skipping school which apparently _you _are as well. So how about you tell me or I'll ring Sue Sylvester and tell her you're home sleeping instead of at school, I'm sure your parole officer or whatever it is you have would _love _to know as well!"

Quinn's eyes widened, although she didn't have anything even remotely like a parole officer she knew that _any _negative reports would get back to Steve and as much as the guy liked her he didn't know about the family secret and she really didn't want to have to tell him, rubbing the back of her neck she considered if it was a bluff and then when Rachel reached into her purse pointedly taking out her cell phone the blonde moved hurriedly from behind the counter and held her hands up.

"Jesus, okay _fine_! Just…Christ, you _do _know blackmail is pretty low right?"

Smiling happily Rachel slipped her phone back into her purse and shrugged, after all if it meant she got what she came for then she didn't really care. Well okay she did but in pushing to get to the truth she was hoping it would help Quinn to heal as well. She opened her mouth to say as much when she noticed a slight bulge in the crotch of the blondes sweatpants and her eyes widened. Oblivious of the direction of the diva's gaze, Quinn just scowled and shrugged.

"_Well, _ask me what you want to know then!"

Chewing on her lower lip and unable to shift her gaze Rachel felt uncomfortably hot and cleared her throat. She realised that a part of her had _already _taken in the firmly muscled and well delineated form and now she realised there was something else to the blonde…and she couldn't help but ask in a distracted voice.

"Well firstly I'd like to know why you have…_something _down the front of your pants that most girls most certainly _don't_!"

Frowning for a moment in confusion Quinn followed Rachel's gaze and swearing she placed both hands in front of herself and glared.

"Just…ask me about the _other _thing, you wanted to know about that, it's why you came here so…let's talk about _that_."

Rachel was torn, of _course _she wanted to know finally but…now there was _another _puzzle, she doubted it was a fake one as it hadn't been fully erect and a phallus would be, damn she _really _needed to stop thinking about that tent in the ex convicts sweatpants, except she couldn't.

"We _will _talk about that, of _course _we will but right now I need to know about that!"

Standing up she walked closer to the flustered blonde who was caught between panic and anger. The head cheerleaders attitude was confusing the hell out of her and she bit her upper lip nervously before swallowing and trying to take a step back as the cheerleader moved closer.

"Seriously, back the fuck _off _Cheerio! I will hurt you if y…you get _any _closer. This was…wasn't what you came here for right so lets j…just skip to why you did before I lose my temper."

She cursed herself as her voice sounded far from threatening and the fact Rachel just raised an eyebrow at her and leaned in closer trapping her against the counter didn't _exactly _help.

"Like I said, you _will _tell me about that but considering that I can make or break reputations at McKinley perhaps you might consider at least being more, polite Quinn Fabray, after all finishing high school is obviously important to you so why don't we talk."

As she finished talking she couldn't help herself and although it was _totally _against her character, all those months of unfulfilled fumbles with Finn made her brave as well as curious and she reached out and felt for what she _thought _she had seen…all she could do was raise an impressed eyebrow. Quinn was looking at the ceiling and wondered when exactly she had lost control of the situation, when she felt the cheerleaders small hand cup her she bit down on a groan and flexed her jaw.

"Fine…you have your proof okay, I'm a _freak _and now you know so if you're going to do something about it and out me to the entire school then do it, but you better be quick cos it isn't there all the time and you're the one that could end up looking like a fucking idiot not me!"

She spat the words out bitterly, she knew people like Rachel…well she _thought _she did but then it looked like she might have been wrong, and now…she was _so _confused.

"You really should watch the language, someone with your I.Q is above resorting to…profanities."

As she said the last word she swore her hand acted on it's own accord as she stroked along the length under the grey cotton, she swallowed at the size of what she held in her hand and looked up at Hazel eyes which were half closed and full of confusion. Rachel swore mentally, she was _meant _to be here to try and find the truth and to…maybe work out _if _she had gotten off on the wrong foot with the blonde but she hadn't banked on being distracted.

"I…wouldn't really blackmail someone for being different Quinn, it goes against everything I stand for, I actually came here for the opposite reason. I wanted to get to know you, find out why you did something so out of character but…this is _very _distracting."

At the shy and soft tones coming from the brunette Quinn had to admit that she sounded genuine, attempting to try and find an out she swallowed on a dry throat and murmured.

"**YOU **think it's distracting? Try being _me _right now."

Rachel frowned then her eyes widened and she realised what Quinn meant, she let go abruptly and stepped back.

"Oh…I…gosh I'm _so _sorry I forgot that, um well I suppose that it works like a _normal _one?"

Clamping both hands over her groin again as soon as Rachel had stepped away from her, Quinn removed them for a minute so Rachel could see the result of her manhandling and when brown eyes widened she smirked and clamped her hands back down.

"Does _that _answer your question?"

Rachel almost stumbled as she sat back down and thirstily swallowed what juice was left in her glass repeating her boyfriends name over and over in her head as she tried not to think about just how _big _Quinn was.

"I…didn't think I suppose, I mean Finn is fairly big but that's…you're, I mean _wow_. And of course if I'd grabbed Finn for that long he would already have jizzed himself and you didn't, you have quite good control over it, I suppose maybe it's having a woman's sensibilities behind it or perhaps you practice technique a lot…"

Realising that A) she was rambling and B) she was rambling about Quinn's appendage and had inadvertently revealed things about her boyfriend she clapped her hand over her mouth and looked at Quinn who was stunned at the barrage of words.

"I'm so sorry, ignore _everything _I just said, I cant believe I said all that, I feel _so _stupid!"

Quinn opened and closed her mouth a few times then shrugged and smirked before asking softly.

"Is it okay if I forget everything about it _apart _from where you told me I was bigger and better than your boyfriend?"

Flushing bright red Rachel half glared then couldn't help but giggle slightly at the situation and the bizarre direction the morning had taken. Letting out a long breath she poured more juice and then relaxed again as Quinn sat back down with a small wince, normally it would take a fair while for it to go down naturally…if at all but she had a feeling the conversation they were about to have would act like several cold showers at once, taking a deep breath Rachel looked at her.

"Okay…let's um start this again shall we? Firstly I _am _sorry for asking Santana to hurt you, it was something I'm not proud of and I can understand if given that and my, rather odd reaction to your secret this morning, that you would rather not talk to me after this conversation is finished."

The serious and sombre tone in the diva's voice got through to Quinn and she sat back in her seat and looked down at the table top, she had never told _anyone _the full story…but hey if she couldn't tell the first girl to ever grab hold of her dick then who _could _she tell, smiling softly she looked up and let out a breath before speaking.

"Gaby and me, well, we grew up together you know? Met in kindergarten and despite some ridiculous arguments along the way we stayed close. High school was difficult for _both _of us, me because I was trying to get used to the fact that I liked girls…and I had _this _secret which you now obviously know about, Gaby did too, it never bothered her she thought it was kinda cool. Anyway she always liked Jesse, he was a year above us and she idolised him although _he _didn't notice her until one summer party for vocal adrenaline. I knew of his reputation and warned her against it but…he was persuasive and one thing led to another. Next thing I know she tells me how in love with him she is and that she cant wait to be with him…half an hour later I find him on top of our cheer captain in the gym going at it like it's an Olympic sport. I _tried _to tell Gaby but she wouldn't hear it and we fell out."

Pausing she reached for the orange and poured herself some before carrying on.

"I didn't hear from her for a month or more, then she shows up on my doorstep one night in tears, she'd slept with him and the next day he dumped her which was bad enough but then, well _then _she discovered she was pregnant and he was the only guy she'd ever been with. So she tried to tell him but he denied it, told her he couldn't be the father and accused her of being a slut like 'every other cheerleader' but _still _I didn't lose it. When he refused to accept any responsibility she…tried to kill herself, they saved _her _but she lost the baby and after that she just…stopped speaking or reacting to anyone."

She drained her glass and spared a glance towards Rachel who looked caught between tears and anger, knowing she was risking a lot more than just the girls anger she carried on regardless.

"Even then I didn't lose it, I _hated _him and I wanted him to pay for what he had done but not enough to risk my own future…until I walked past the bleachers that morning where he was sat with his little entourage and someone mentioned what had happened to Gaby, and you know what your best _bud _did Rach?"

She looked up, her jaw flexing angrily, hand tight on the juice glass, the brunette across from her just shook her head still not saying a word.

"He fucking _smirked_, he smirked and said that _some _people just couldn't handle rejection and he could understand how someone wouldn't want to be in this world after they'd been with him and been rejected. _THAT'S _when I lost it Rachel…so you see although I spent a year in Juvie and got beaten up more times than I can count I'm _not _sorry because he deserved what he got."

Letting out a strangled breath the blonde stood and just moved out of the dining area to lean on the kitchen sink and peer out of the kitchen window, she just needed some space after finally speaking about what had driven her to attack Jesse. She was lost in her own mind so much so that she even forgot for a moment that Rachel was there and had heard the truth about her best friend. _Not _that she expected Rachel to believe her, after all Jesse was the _innocent _victim in the eyes of the law and she was the aggressor, feeling her hands tightening on the rim of the stainless steel sink she tried to take in a few calming breaths.

She was unaware that behind her Rachel was processing what Quinn had told her, and the thing that had made her feel the worst was that she _did _believe it, she didn't want to but she did. The one thing about being friends with someone for such a long time is that you knew their good points, and more importantly you knew their bad ones. Jesse was an unrepentant womaniser and always had been, so the fact he could have led a girl on and then dumped her _wasn't _unusual. As for the pregnancy…sadly she could also see him walking away from a girl he got into trouble, he loved his carefree bachelor life _far _too much and he wouldn't be the first man to walk away from his responsibilities. But to not help when the girl tried to kill herself through shame…and then to _laugh _about it? She suddenly realised that had someone done that to San or Brittany she would have reacted just as the blonde had. She may have doubted that before, had always said she could _never _understand why someone would act like that, but her own furious gut reaction to Quinn's initial arrival at the school had taught her that she was indeed capable of that level of anger.

Unsure how it was going to be received she let her instincts guide her as she stood from the table and went to stand behind the clearly distraught Quinn. She knew that it had shaken the blonde more than she wanted to let on but the very fact her knuckles were white on the sink and her shoulder muscles were trembling with suppressed emotion was enough to convince the diva of what she had to do and so she lay a gentle and tentative hand on the tense shoulders in front of her.

"Quinn…why did you never _say _anything? If you had told everyone the full truth you _never _would have gone to Juvie, they would have understood that it wasn't a premeditated attack."

Releasing a breath of weary resignation the blonde turned round and leaning on the sink she crossed her arms and her legs at the ankle as she smiled sadly and shook her head.

"I promised Gabrielle I wouldn't tell anyone the full story, she was already so ashamed and she felt she had murdered her baby…I hadn't been able to stop him so the _least _I could do was keep her secret, and so far I have kept that promise. The only reason I'm telling you is because…I _really _don't want to go back to Juvie, it would break my mom so I cant have you telling people anything that would do that."

Rachel felt a pang of guilt and looked away as she wrung her hands together, she had wanted the truth yes, but her pursuit for the truth had caused Quinn to relive the pain of what had happened to her best friend, no doubt she had caused old wounds to be reopened at the Armora house as well with her phone call. Chewing her lip in agitation for a while she eventually looked into the conflicted hazel gaze of the tall blonde.

"I'm sorry…for _everything_. I'm sorry for what Jesse did, for making you re tell the story even though it hurt you, for making you feel like I would force you back into Juvenile detention if you didn't. And for hurting you."

On impulse she reached out and touched her thumb gently to the healing busted lip, she ran the pad of her thumb over the abused flesh and found she couldn't say anything else at that point so she looked back up into the stormy eyes of Quinn Fabray. Swallowing reflexively Quinn fought the urge to kiss the digit that was gently running across her lips, she was _just _hormonal, she was _always _hormonal after the change and even she had to admit that you would have to be dead to _not _notice how hot Rachel Berry was. But…she was straight, the HBIC of the school and had a boyfriend, the quarterback no less. And she had apologised, it finally registered that the first person she had told the full story to since it happened _didn't _blame her, in fact she understood why she had done it and told her it wasn't her fault. She felt compelled to offer an olive branch in return, especially as she could see the honest regret in the dark brown eyes before her.

"You were just acting to protect your friend Berry, I…_understand_."

The words came out hoarser than she would have liked and she tried to avert her gaze but Rachel's thumb moved down to her chin and held her face steady, keeping her from looking away.

"_Don't _under value yourself like that, it is _not _okay that I hurt you and you're allowed to be pissed at me, and for the blackmailing…though technically I wasn't _strictly _speaking blackmailing you as I only alluded to it rather than outright saying it."

Smiling despite herself Quinn reached up and gently took hold of Rachel's hand to disengage it from her chin.

"So, I can get mad about all that but _not _about you forcing me to reveal my other biggest secret by grabbing hold of my co pilot?"

Rachel first flushed a bright red as she remembered the grab the blonde was referring to and then she couldn't help but glance down at it again which made her flush even more and Quinn rolled her eyes. Rachel cleared her throat and flipped her hair over her shoulder trying to regain some of her dignity while at the same time knowing that Quinn was trying to move away from the gravity of the previous conversation.

"Firstly I realise that it _was _a little forward perhaps, but when you don't expect something to be…_there_, well it takes you off guard and you have to check it is actually real, I mean I still don't know how or why or…_anything _in fact but you cant really blame me can you? And secondly…did you _seriously _call your um penis, your co pilot?"

Quinn flushed at that, only just then realising she had said that part out loud, it was her turn to flush this time and she rubbed the back of her neck with one hand the other going down to protectively hover over the item in question.

"Okay, well…yeah I mean I guess I can understand the natural curiosity, Gaby was the same although _she _made me show her in the end because she couldn't believe it otherwise…but at least she didn't grab it. And in my defence _everyone _nicknames their cock, it's not _that _unusual."

She grumbled the last bit out and Rachel thought she looked adorable as she shuffled ever so slightly in her defensive way. The diva found herself biting her lip and contemplating something Quinn had just said, automatically her eyes wandered down the athletes form until she reached mid level and she raised an eyebrow speculatively. Quinn's snort of disbelief made her look back up abruptly.

"Please tell me you aren't thinking of asking me to _show _you it! You already fondled me, surely the reaction was convincing enough!"

Shrugging slightly Rachel couldn't help the half smile she flashed at the blonde as she leaned back on the edge of the kitchen table and crossed her legs, absurdly pleased when she saw the girl in front of her swallow and shift uncomfortably. Laughing lightly the diva raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that I don't believe you but your friend had the right idea, seeing is believing, and I cant help you cover it up if you don't fully…disclose everything."

It had been a long time since Quinn had felt anything other than obligated around women but damn if this annoying loud mouthed stubborn assed cheerleader wasn't getting _more _than just a simple physical reaction from her…nevertheless…

"Don't you have a _boyfriend_? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be pleased to know you were looking at someone else's…um junk."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the thought of Finn, it wasn't exactly to push the idiot from her mind, though she wished it was, she wished that she _could _feel for him the way she was meant to…the way she _thought _she should but she couldn't. She realised now that she never would and the sooner she could break it off the greater chance they might both have of finding someone else…a tall athletic blonde someone else with eyes that sucked you in, she shook herself mentally and smiled honestly at the girl in front of her, first things first after all.

"He wont be a concern soon."

It was a simple sentence but the emotions and the heated look that accompanied them were more telling than a song and heartfelt dance routine. Quinn swallowed and glancing down for a moment she felt herself smile ever so slightly and looked back up…she was taking one _Hell _of a chance on this, especially as only yesterday this girl had ordered her second to smack her around. But she couldn't deny that the apology and the look in those brown doe eyes was one hundred percent honest, and she _also _couldn't deny she'd not been able to get the girl out of her mind since she'd first seen her.

"Well, when he isn't then _maybe _I'll let you prove your hypothesis that seeing is believing but I'm not getting in the middle of some high school drama, I've already had enough of _that _to last me a lifetime and then some."

Rachel felt herself smiling in reply before she nodded a quiet agreement.

"Well, I guess I should leave you to it…and I don't mean it as in '_it' _but as in…um whatever it was you were going to do today, and you shouldn't think I'm using the word it as some kind of derogatory reference to the fact that you have an unusual…affliction, not that I think of it as an affliction more of a…."

Quinn's loud and genuinely amused laugh cut into her verbal tirade and while she was happy to be stopped from sounding like a _complete _imbecile she was also flustered and more than a touch embarrassed, she definitely wasn't used to anyone laughing at her. The blonde finally got her breath back and had to bite her lip at the perturbed look on the cheerleaders face, forcing herself to stop giggling she held up her hands.

"Sorry it's just that…wow, do you _always _go wandering down conversational Cul-de-sac's when you're nervous?"

She was answered with a huff and two fisted hands propping on hips.

"Quinn Fabray I will have you know I am _not _nervous, I do not _get _nervous."

At the arched eyebrow in front of her she felt the need to quantify her protestation.

"I merely was unsure of the correct grammatical way with which to refer to your…um…"

Oh this was just _too _easy and Quinn couldn't help herself as she let her hand wander until she was pointing at her crotch, amused when the cheerleaders eyes followed her hand as if hypnotised.

"It's called a penis Berry, a cock, dick, Wang…choose whichever one you feel most comfortable with."

Just when she thought she had the upper hand in this conversation the diminutive brunette turned it on it's ass again with a few well chosen words.

"How about co pilot?"

Groaning the athlete had the good grace to sink her head into both of her hands before narrowing her gaze and growling out a one word submission.

"Touché."

Now it was Rachel's turn to laugh and the last of the tension in the room dissipated and for the first time since they met each other it _wasn't _about Rachel Berry HBIC and best friend of Jesse St James meeting Quinn Fabray the girl who'd just been released from Juvenile Detention for beating him up. It was just two girls on the cusp of adulthood realising they had more in common with each other than they thought, almost as if they both sensed it was a new start Rachel stepped forward and held her hand out.

"Hello I'm Rachel Berry and I'd like to welcome you officially to McKinley high."

Pausing for just a moment the blonde pushed herself off from her position against the sink and taking a step forward took the smaller tanned hand in hers and smiled politely.

"Quinn Fabray, pleased to meet you…maybe we should get coffee some time?"

Rachel threw her head back and genuinely laughed at the smirk on the blondes face as she shook her hand.

"Wow, you don't waste any time do you Fabray?"

Giving a casual shrug Quinn put her hands in her sweat pants pockets and tilted her head to one side.

"Trust me, after the year _I_ just had I'm not wasting any more chances."

The cheerleader smiled back at her and then ducked her head and wondered if she should actually ask the question she had formulated in her head, smiling gently Quinn nudged her with her foot.

"Just ask, after all we _only _just met remember?"

Chewing on her lip Rachel considered, in the interests of a new start she _really _shouldn't as it was more taking a step backwards but she couldn't help herself.

"I know you wanted to keep your friends secret but…was it worth it Quinn, I mean…"

She reached up to touch a thumb gently to the scar on the girls face while her eyes took in the four inch long one on the blondes forearm before continuing.

"It _obviously _wasn't easy."

Quinn closed her eyes for a long moment as she remembered her 'initiation' into life at the detention centre, no it certainly _hadn't _been easy, but as to it being worth it…

"Gaby had already lost everything, the last thing she had was her privacy regarding the matter, and you being the unofficial ruler of the school should know more than anyone else what happens when a rumour leaks out. So to help her preserve the one thing she had left,…yeah it was worth it. I mean skin heals, memory fades."

Letting out a long breath and wondering why she cared so much for someone that she had known for such a short amount of time, Rachel let her hand drop to her side and smiled sadly.

"I wish…that I had known you back then, that maybe I could have helped somehow, because _yes _while everything you have said is true the one thing that is permanent is a criminal record, wont it make it difficult to get into a college?"

Reaching up to rub the back of her neck Quinn set about making some coffee and wondered how to answer that, after all she hadn't even discussed it with her mom yet but she knew what she wanted. Once the coffee machine was on she glanced back at Rachel who was still stood, waiting patiently for an answer.

"If I wanted to go to college then it _would _be, I mean, okay, the judge agreed to expunge my record on my eighteenth birthday so my future wouldn't be affected given my past exemplary behaviour…but I don't _want _to go to college."

Rachel felt her jaw drop and an amused Quinn gestured for the brunette to take a seat before she had an apoplectic fit.

"Why…I mean but…_why _wouldn't you want to you have the highest GPA in the school Quinn! I understand maybe the expense would be an issue but…"

Smiling the blonde shook her head and poured them both a coffee before rejoining her at the kitchen table.

"All I ever wanted was to fly jets Rach, my dad started out on jets and moved to choppers, but me…I have _my _sights set on jets and in particular the Raptor, I want to fly the Raptor, so after High School I intend to join the Air Force."

She took a sip of the surprisingly mellow brew while she waited for a reaction from the brunette who was currently doing a passable impression of catching flies.

"But…I mean…_surely _if that were the case then maybe engineering or physics or something would be helpful to you when you joined up? I mean wouldn't _that _help you and doesn't the Air Force offer to pay for tuition or something if you sign up?"

In a way Quinn was glad this conversation was taking place as it was a dry run for the one with her mom that was bound to happen, especially as she didn't really have a good argument for not attending college other than she was eager to actually _do _something instead of just more studying.

"I guess maybe I'm eager to get out there and actually make a difference, instead of sitting in a classroom for another three or four years studying."

Frowning slightly the brunette mulled that over as she sipped her own drink.

"That's all very well but what about life itself, don't get me wrong Quinn I admire you for your dedication and eagerness to make a difference but _you _have a life too, you aren't here to serve other without thought to what you want. I have no doubt you _will _sit in the cockpit of a Raptor, whatever that _is_, but what about…meeting someone?"

Quinn's smile was bittersweet at that and she shrugged.

"Yep cos that's likely to happen isn't it? I'm _such _a hot prospect."

Rachel frowned heavily at that and sipped more of her drink as she considered what she wanted to say, this all seemed ridiculous to her, she had a boyfriend and until today…well okay if she was being honest maybe there was something there yesterday when she'd first set eyes on Quinn as she headed into the school, she had _thought _she was happy. But she felt more passionate about the girl sat in front of her than she ever had about Finn or his prospects for college. She wasn't uncomfortable with the same sex aspect of the relationship but she was still trying to get her head around how immediate and intense the connection she felt was. However she felt she also knew that Quinn needed to hear what she was thinking, needed to know that she _was _worth someone's attention.

"Well personally speaking I would hope that any girl I dated would have a better self image than that, especially if she _happened _to be as smart and attractive as you so I suggest you grow a pair before I change my mind and find another smart charming blonde to ask out."

The blonde in question nodded casually in an automatic conversational agreement when what Rachel had actually said caught up with her, sadly it was also when she was in the middle of a mouthful of coffee and so her gasp of surprise meant she inhaled the liquid down the wrong pipe and began to choke. Vaguely she was aware of small hands patting her back and by the time she could breathe again and had wiped the tears from her eyes she saw Rachel smiling wryly at her.

"I'm a little hurt Fabray, normally when I 'off handedly' mention I'd like to date someone they _don't _choke?"

Wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands she finally managed to draw in a deep breath of much needed air and smiled back.

"It wasn't so much that as you telling me to grow a pair, I mean…haven't we established that I already _do _that?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow then laughed as the irony of that particular comment hit her and she sat back down smiling indulgently.

"Yes…well, the sentiment remains the same Fabray, I want to get to know you better and if that happened to say, _naturally _make it's way towards the odd date and the inevitable conclusion of you realising _just _how amazing I am then so be it."

Smiling airily the cheerio finished her coffee and with half a smile in return Quinn shook her head and did the same, there was definitely _something _appealing about this little powerhouse of a brunette in front of her, maybe getting to know each other wouldn't be _so _bad. After all it wasn't like she was going to have to reveal any big secret's as they had covered both of them (three if she counted the college bombshell) that afternoon. Draining the last of her own coffee she nodded her head towards the grinning cheerio.

"Then I guess this could be the beginning of an…interesting association _Cheerio_."

White even teeth flashed back at her in an amused smile and one eyebrow raised.

"You got that right, _Froot Loop_."

And so, over the next few weeks that inevitably turned into months, that is _exactly _what happened, not only did the two of them grow into an inseparable pair around the school, once Rachel explained to Brittany and Santana the _real _story behind Jesse's beating (with Quinn's permission of course) she found herself with two additional friends and discovered that Brittany's quirkiness could always pull her out of the occasional funk that she would sink into. and Santana's wicked and sharply accurate sense of humour _never _failed to drag a laugh from her, together the four of them became a formidable team. Despite pressure from her three friends and of course Sue 'crazier than a box of frogs' Sylvester, Quinn refused to join the cheerio's but she _did _acquiesce to Rachel's suggestion that she take up something athletic and so she ended up on the track team. No matter _how _she tried she couldn't get out of joining glee club however, mainly because Rachel teamed her pout with Brittany's and when Santana had merely smirked and refused to intervene on the athletes behalf she found herself attending various different training sessions. Her mother was over the moon that she had forged close friendships and thrown herself back into high school life by joining not one but two extra curricular activity clubs.

Judy fell in love with Rachel the first minute she saw her, mainly because the little brunette turned up to study with Quinn for a math test and brought with her a batch of home baked peanut butter cookies, after that first time it was not uncommon for Quinn to come down and find her mom engaged in conversation with the cheerleader who had completely forgotten she was there to see Quinn. Far from bothering the ex convict she found it wonderful, especially because Rachel didn't treat her mom any differently than she did to anyone else, aside from making sure she spoke at an even pace so Judy could read her lips, although she had secretly been trying to learn ASL as well. Santana was also popular although she _did _like to freak Quinn out by openly flirting with Judy, the athlete spent a lot of time glaring ineffectually at the Latina and silently appealing to Brittany for help who thought it was far too amusing to stop.

There had been huge changes involved for both girls, some of which they were open about and others they just let quietly develop, _not _that anyone who saw them together hadn't already guessed. After Quinn was dragged into the first glee club meeting she found herself in the middle of a social circle she had never expected, to her delight Mike and his girlfriend, whom he introduced as Tina, was _also _a member and the two of them regularly took trips to the local game stores in town as they found a common interest in collecting retro consoles as well as the newer games. There was also Artie, a resident geek she had a lot in common with given his own interests in engineering, Blaine and Kurt who proclaimed her to be 'quite stylish for a lesbian' and Puck…she wasn't _sure _about him, he seemed nice enough but he also seemed like the type of guy to get a girl drunk and pregnant and think nothing of the consequences.

Finn was a whole other issue, she found out that Rachel had indeed made her split from the schools quarterback and while the whole school was talking about it for weeks…they weren't _exactly _surprised and when Quinn asked Santana why the Latina was not backwards in coming forwards with the boy's faults. He was nice enough but childish in many respects, only concerned with his own happiness and image, and she also shared that everyone in glee club had thought that Rachel was _far _too good for him. The athlete was simultaneously pleased and unsettled by that admission, pleased because Rachel had done what she said she would and was also free, but she was unsettled because if they thought _Finn _wasn't good enough for her then there was no way they were going to find an ex convict anywhere even _near _good enough for the little diva.

For Rachel the last few weeks had helped her to make several key decisions she had been unsure about. She _knew _that she cared for Finn but had broken up with him the day after her talk with Quinn. Their friendship was amazingly close, closer than any she had ever had before and she knew that it showed, she was worried of course that she was attracted to Quinn in just the physical sense but it wasn't the athletes body that kept her awake every night…or if she was being honest it wasn't _just _her body that kept her awake. She found herself falling asleep to daydreams of holidays with Quinn, a wedding, then their first child. She knew she had a tendency to get ahead of herself and despite several deliberately obvious invitations the blonde athlete always backed off despite the agreement that was visible in her easy to read hazel eyes. Rachel Berry however was _not _one to let a little stubbornness get in the way of what she knew would be the start of a 'forever after' romance, she had even resigned herself to the months of loneliness that would occur when Quinn was posted overseas as she knew she would be, although she _was _starting to wear her down when it came to agreeing to college first. Now all she had to do was persuade the thick headed blonde that it was what she wanted, that _Rachel _was what she wanted, and in that effort it was time to enlist some extra firepower!

For Quinn the time had been a confusing whirlwind of a second chance at a real life and an emotional rollercoaster that at times made her sick. She couldn't deny anymore that she had fallen and was _still _falling, for the fireball of brunette energy more commonly known as Rachel Berry…she was _even _considering attending college just because it would give her a backup plan and Rachel was very fond of backup plan's. Her mom loved the diva and lately had also started encouraging Quinn to stop being a wuss and just go for it but she _couldn't_, Santana was Rachel's best friend and she just kept repeating the conversation about Finn not being good enough for Rachel in her head. _She _was definitely a step down from a championship winning quarterback, both of Rachel's dad's had met her and adored her which helped, but still she felt as though she was less than Rachel deserved. The main test had been of course Steven and he had liked the diva enough to take her up in his little Chipmunk plane one afternoon, when she got back down on the tarmac she had squealed happily and leapt into Quinn's arms surprising the athlete as she exclaimed that she loved flying and when Quinn finally got her licence they had to go up _every _weekend.

So in _theory _everything was giving her the green light, all the adults concerned thought the idea of the two of them was a good one, even Santana said she wouldn't be displeased if Rachel and Quinn started bumping uglies. Less than impressed at that particular phrase the little diva had sulked for a full hour before the athlete pulled her out of it by exclaiming there was _no _part of her that could remotely be described as ugly. So…the question remained why the _Hell _wasn't Quinn making a move, especially when it was almost guaranteed that it would be _extremely _well received? Self worth was what it came down to, despite excellent grades, record breaking track times and the occasional duet in glee, the ex convict saw herself as just that, an ex convict who wasn't worthy of someone like Rachel Berry, even if the two of them survived a relationship in college there was no doubt in the athletes mind that Rachel would do exactly what she said and become the biggest freaking star that Broadway had _ever _seen. And when that happened the press would start digging and once they did and discovered that the girl who was in a relationship with her once spent time in juvenile detention for a violent assault then it would hurt Rachel. It felt strange in some ways to want to protect someone she had only known for almost two months but it didn't make it any less true, she _never _wanted to be the cause of pain in anyone's life and if that meant staying the brunette's friend even though she ached for more then so be it. Quinn Fabray could be as stubborn as Rachel Berry when she wanted to be…however, as she was about to discover, she was nowhere _near _as crafty.

It was the day of her very individual physical change and so Quinn was sleeping off the aftermath and unaware when Judy let a shyly smiling Rachel into the house, after exchanging the usual greetings the brunette held her hands up to halt Judy who was about to speak and with great concentration she started to sign, smiling as she managed to get out the sentence.

_I have almost got the hang of this, thank you for your help with my plan to get through to Quinn she can be __**very **__stubborn!_

Judy laughed and nodded in agreement, while she appreciated and maybe even was growing to love the diva, especially for attempting to learn sign language, she couldn't deny her daughters own stubbornness and was scared of where it came from. She signed slowly to ensure Rachel could decipher it properly.

_I want her to be happy but she feels she doesn't deserve it, I know she __**wants **__to be with you, you make her happy and I will help however I can, just don't hurt her._

Shaking her head solemnly the cheerleader swallowed and chewed on her lip as she remembered the hand movements she wanted.

_I will make __**sure **__she is happy, that much I can promise you, I just hope she will forgive me for taking this approach, it is sort of mercenary._

Smiling softly Judy nodded ever so slightly then shrugged before signing.

_I suppose it is but sometimes with Quinn the direct approach is the only approach…just for the sake of my sanity never tell me exactly how you get through to her okay?_

Rachel pulled a face similar to Judy's and signed back, slightly more swiftly as her hands became accustomed to the movements.

_Don't worry, considering I got most of my advice from Santana I wouldn't wish that on you, plus it would be a little too weird even for me!_

Nodding in rapid agreement Judy picked her gym bag up from the side and then her cell phone before waving over her shoulder and heading out. Rachel let out a long nervous breath and then smiled slightly, yes she was _technically _taking advantage of Quinn's condition, or more accurately the after effects of it but…it wasn't like the athlete had left her much choice in that regard and taking advantage of an opponents weakness was to be expected. She comforted herself with the fact that when it came to it Quinn would enjoy it _just _as much as she would. Heading to the bathroom she got ready.

There was something different about her room that afternoon and Quinn frowned as she stretched and looked around for whatever was out of place. Her mom would be at the gym by that point and so it wasn't her…at first glance everything looked the same. Her framed prints of various landscapes taken by her dad as he was in cockpit's or hanging out of the side of a Huey or other helicopter. A _huge _poster of a Raptor her dad had gotten her two years ago when she first saw one fly was spread over one wall, the desk was clear of clutter except her drink bottle and laptop and the glass case stood in the corner with the various models she used to sit and make with her dad so what…? It was only when she saw the supposed shadows move that her eyes shot towards the old stuffed leather armchair that used to sit in her dad's office. Narrowing her eyes she _vaguely _made out the shape of her friend.

"_Jesus _Rachel, you trying to give me a heart attack?"

She wiped her eyes, voice still thick with sleep and sat up in bed, she swallowed hard when she saw what Rachel was wearing, or _not _wearing as the case may be. She had on one of the athletes own white shirts and was sat with one leg tucked up under her, reaching to the side of her she pulled on the lamps cord and it became apparent there was little to nothing on underneath the shirt.

"Um…_Rach_? You're…not wearing much, did you like, have an accident or something?"

Aware of the remnants of sleep and something else that were clogging her throat the blonde cleared it self consciously and directed her eyes to the side of the brunette rather than directly _at _her. Normally it was easy to hide her obvious attraction to the diva by masking it in friendship, however in her _current _state it would be all too obvious what she actually felt, hence the lack of eye contact. Not that it seemed to be dissuading Rachel at all and standing the brunette walked over to the bed and sat on the side of it as she spoke softly.

"Why are you avoiding my eyes Quinn?"

Rubbing the back of her neck the blonde licked her lips nervously and glanced briefly towards the barely clothed diva.

"W…well um you're sort of not _wearing _much and it would be rude to stare!"

She missed Rachel's small smile but not the grin in her voice when she spoke and her hands moved to grab the engineering book from her nightstand and place it over her lap.

"It's not rude if I _want _you to look Quinn, it's an invitation…"

Sucking the side of her cheek into her mouth and chewing on it to prevent the moan that was bubbling up from her throat, the athlete stared up at the ceiling and spoke haltingly.

"But…it would be _wrong_, you are gonna be famous and…I could _hurt _you if they found out about me and the press would be bad and…I'm not _worth _it Rachel."

There was a long sigh and she realised exactly how close the diva had moved towards her when she felt the breath from the exhalation brush across her ear lightly and tickle the side of her neck causing a pleasant shiver to run down her spine. Swallowing she couldn't find it within her to avoid Rachel's eyes anymore and she looked down at the brown orbs peering into her own.

"I don't _care _about that Quinn, haven't you worked out yet that it's _you _I want…and have done for a long time now. We had maybe the worst start ever but despite what you _think _Quinn Fabray it's me that doesn't deserve you if anything. I am rapidly and quite spectacularly falling for you."

Ninety percent of the athlete wanted to reach out and draw the brunette to her, her hand even fractionally raised from her lap but she forced it back down and prepared to tell perhaps the biggest lie of her life.

"Rachel, you're a good friend but I don't…_like _you in that way?"

She cursed internally as it came out as more of a query than a statement and swallowing she got ready for the tears and apologies that were sure to follow…only they didn't. instead there was a small chuckle and she watched in disbelief as Rachel leaned forwards enough to whisper into the athletes ear softly.

"Do you _really _expect me to believe that Quinn?"

Trying her hardest _not _to look down the open v of the white shirt, Quinn swallowed and locked her hazel eyes with Rachel's amused ones, before she could open her mouth to reply however she felt the heavy book being removed from her lap and she frowned in confusion…right up until the moment that the duvet was swiftly whipped off of her and the very obvious bulge in her loose boxers became visible to both of them. A dark eyebrow raised and the athlete felt herself flush bright red.

"Because unless I'm mistaken, _that _is evidence of exactly just how much you **DO **like me that way."

Words, she _needed _words, the world was full of them and usually her head also held it's fair share but right at that moment, with her back resting against the headrest of her bed and the girl she'd been dreaming of for the past month sitting half naked in front of her…she couldn't remember _any _of them, a situation that only grew worse when Rachel's small but more than able hand reached out to firmly stroke along the solid length of her cock.

"R…Rach, what are you…_doing_? You don't have to…"

Biting her lower lip into her mouth gently with her white teeth Rachel smiled shyly and squeezed the solid length of warmth under her hand while she kept her eyes on the rapidly swallowing athlete.

"I'm _doing _what I want to do Quinn, and what I know _you _want to do…and while your motives may well be honourable in your own mind, what I want is for you to be honest with _me_, to tell me you want me, I can already 'feel' the truth, but I want you to _say _it."

Quinn tried counting backwards from a hundred or recounting the inner workings of the combustion engine in alphabetical order but none of it helped because one more squeeze and stroke had her cock twitching and she couldn't quite stop the groan that was torn from her throat. Rachel smiled to herself in congratulation and then leant forward so close that when she spoke her lips brushed _ever _so gently against Quinn's.

"So tell me what you want Quinn baby, do you _want _me to stop, go home and forget you…or do you want to show me how much you want this, want _us_."

Desperately the athlete tried to hang onto her moralistic code, the one that she had put in place to keep from hurting the amazing girl that was currently half straddling her, but she _couldn't_, not anymore and her walls fell down with an audible groan as she let her hands take hold of the brunette and pull her into a kiss, she wanted it to be gentle, loving but the air was thick with hormones and it was more like the spark of a flame in a very dry tinderbox. Rachel found herself flat on her back, one of the athletes hand sliding up and under the loose shirt gently scratching blunt nails down the smooth sides of the diva, palming the sides of the breast teasingly as she went past it. Her other hand was busy lightly stroking up and down the outside of one subtly strong thigh as she finally and thoroughly gave in to the desire she'd been feeling for so long.

Kissing Rachel Berry was…something she vowed to do as _often _as she possibly could, her lips were soft, _so _damn soft, and yet firm when they moved against hers, slowly at first, exploratory, learning the curves and sensitive spots. It was Rachel that took the first move to deepen the kiss when she nipped lightly at the athlete's lower lip and pulled it forwards, she gently ran the tip of her tongue over the small mark and instead of withdrawing, deftly snuck past the barrier of Quinn's teeth to swipe across the very tip of the athletes tongue, that was all it took and mouths were opened more fully as tongues moved against each other languidly, drawing out the sensation as long as possible before moving to explore the entirety of the new territory. As Quinn pulled back she took the opportunity to repay the brunettes favour from earlier and nipped at a kiss swollen lower lip.

Tracing her kisses along the diva's jaw she moved to inhale the faint traces of Rachel's gentle perfume, unable to _quite _stifle the growl, she licked the pulse point she could see pounding in front of her and then deliberately sucked the flesh into her mouth biting down gently at the same time as laving her tongue across the rapidly darkening flesh. Distantly Rachel was aware she was allowing Quinn to give her a hickey which was something she had _never _allowed before but…dear _god_, if she'd known how amazing it felt to receive one she may have given in sooner, unless of course it was the fact that it was _Quinn _who was administering it that made the difference.

"Oh…_Jesus Quinn_…that feels, a…_amazing_…"

She trailed off with a groan and felt the athlete grin against her skin, not one to completely surrender to another the diva flexed her hands where they rested on the broad muscled shoulders of the blonde girl and she dug her nails in. She was rewarded instantly with Quinn's arched back and low growl. Hazel eyes narrowed as they locked with brown ones and moving back up they were _both _aware of the solid heat of the athletes cock resting against Rachel's thigh. Swallowing they faced each other breathlessly and Quinn finally spoke.

"I…I _do _want you Rach…I do like you that way and I, right _now _I just want…can I…"

Her voice was thick with arousal and she licked her lips nervously as her hands moved to the buttons of the loose shirt, distantly she wondered if this was too much too soon but then two calm tanned hands were placed over her larger shaking ones and she let out a breath and concentrated on the brown eyes smiling warmly up at her.

"I want this too Quinn, I want _you _and I don't just mean _this _part of you."

She reached down and gently caressed the length of the blondes cock, amazed it was still hard (Lord knows Finn would have come and gone by now, literally), she ran a thumb gently over the tip feeling the wetness of the pre come which she rubbed gently around the obviously sensitive area.

"I wanted you before then and I'll still want you in two days when it's gone, but _this _part of you cant lie as well as the rest of you."

At the gentle smile and raised eyebrow Quinn rolled her eyes and even managed a small chuckle which was harder than it seemed with Rachel paying such…_attention _to her appendage. Swallowing she reached down and stilled the diva's hand which was still moving gently over her cock.

"I _believe _you, but before you…cause an explosion, _I _want to please _you_, I know you never got that with Finn and if we end up…uh going 'all the way' then I cant guarantee you how long I'm going to last because…um _well_, I haven't exactly done 'it' before…so I want to make you cum first Rach, will you let me do that?"

Swallowing down tears the diva could only nod, she was worried if she spoke she would actually let them loose and end up crying and that was the _last _thing she wanted to do. It was just so…_amazingly _thoughtful that it took her breath away and she wondered how many guys would admit that they were worried how long they would last on their first time, she suspected the number was only slightly higher than the extremely low number that would insist on pleasing their partner beforehand 'just in case'. She was distracted from her thoughts when Quinn pulled her T Shirt over her head and slid out of the loose boxer shorts. Automatically Rachel reached for the buttons of her own shirt but Quinn batted them away gently and shook her head as she took over.

Leaning down she kissed each inch of skin as it was revealed, once the shirt was hanging loose she kissed Rachel softly, _much _more softly than she had before, whisper touches as opposed to the passion filled ones and she pressed a firmer kiss over the vivid purple love bite that rested over the brunette's still pounding pulse point. She moved downward slowly making sure to cover every inch of the firm tanned skin with either her dexterous hands or her soft yet insistent mouth. When she reached the pebbled texture of the diva's right nipple she was surprised that she was actually having to swallow to stop herself from drooling, and while her left hand palmed the almost luxuriously soft skin of one breast her mouth moved over the other. Sucking on the flesh lightly she allowed her teeth to _very _gently run across the distended nipple before lightly nipping the very tip of the sensitive area. In reply Rachel let loose a long and breathy cry as she arched upwards and tangled one hand in the short blonde hair, making sure to keep Quinn where she wanted her, her other hand was gripping the athletes shoulder so tightly she was breaking the skin, something the blonde was _far _from displeased about and she bit slightly harder in response.

Rachel was in paradise and Hell simultaneously, she had _never _felt such exquisite pleasure before, it was as though her body was a musical instrument that nobody but Quinn Fabray knew how to play properly. Her body felt on fire, every nerve ending more alive than it had ever been before, she could feel the wetness between her legs increasing to the extent she could feel it soaking into Quinn's sheets beneath her and she longed for the blonde girl to _finally _touch her where she needed it most. Her arousal couldn't possibly get any higher, or at least that was what she _thought _until Quinn slowly moved her mouth from the pert breasts and continued downwards, she trailed the tip of her tongue down between the valley of Rachel's breasts and dipped lightly into her navel before blowing lightly over the trail she had just left, the brunette felt her whole body shudder at the sensation it elicited and she actually whimpered and tried to encourage Quinn to move lower with a not so gentle hand gripping hold of the blonde hair.

"Quinn _please_….please just…"

The athlete nipped lightly at the flesh of Rachel's inner thigh then sucked the abused skin into her mouth, lightly marking it before she looked up and caught the heavy lidded dark brown gaze of the diva above her.

"What is it babe, what do you _need _Rach…_tell _me."

Although her tone was gentle the words held a not so subtle command behind them that reminded Rachel of a cold steel blade in a soft velvet sheath and she swallowed down another moan as she released her lip from between her teeth and tried yet again to thrust herself closer to the talented mouth, and yet again was easily denied. Almost sobbing in desperation she caved in and the words spilled from her mouth almost desperately.

"Oh please just, make me _cum_…_please_…I cant…_wait _any longer…"

Smirking gently, Quinn's eyes nonetheless held such love and devotion that it took Rachel's breath away and she managed to keep her gaze locked with the athletes, until that tongue swiped the entire length of her slit and she felt herself shudder, amazed to realise she was _already _close to the edge, as much as she wanted to cum she didn't want it to be over so fast! Quinn however, _wasn't _stupid, she allowed her tongue to dip inside the wet warmth of Rachel just once and couldn't stop the moan that resulted. The diva arched powerfully against the athlete as the moan reverberated across, and seemingly _into _her, Quinn held herself back with great restraint, to her Rachel tasted of the sweetest honey and she couldn't get enough…but, she wanted this experience to be memorable for _both _of them.

She used her hands to keep Rachel's legs apart, the last thing she wanted was for the diva to set herself off, after waiting a few moments for the brunettes ardour to cool she leaned in and with gentle movements kissed the outer lips of the girls entrance before pulling them lightly into her mouth, almost groaning as moisture gushed out of the glorious pussy in front of her, ducking forward she licked and sucked at the sensitive skin that lie under her mouth, slowly, and in Rachel's mind eventually, she ran the flat of her tongue over the tight little bundle of nerves that had been straining out from under it's hood for the last little while as though trying to get the athletes attention. Knowing it wouldn't take long Quinn paused then using the copious lubrication Rachel had produced she slid two fingers inside deftly, simultaneously she sucked the diva's clit into her mouth and flicked the end of her tongue against it rapidly. As her tongue worked swiftly and surely, her fingers pumped in and out of the hot gripping walls of Rachel's channel as she felt for and found the soft spongy tissue she was searching out, and with two swift sure strokes over it, combined with her tongue Rachel _finally _came, purely from someone _else's _efforts.

She felt her back arch up high as she literally bellowed out her release, her legs squeezed the athlete hard between them and she could feel her heels pressing into the firmly muscled back, pushing Quinn down and into the mattress. Eventually she collapsed, her inner walls still gripping the blondes slim fingers inside of her and she felt boneless and light headed as she fought for breath. Dimly she was aware of soft kisses moving back up her body and towards her face but she could only just manage an intelligible murmur and half smile as she smacked at a strong arm weakly. Quinn chuckled and finally settling next to the collapsed diva she pulled her in and kissed her languidly, Rachel tasted herself on someone else's lips for the first time and it stirred her into semi wakefulness as she blinked dazedly at a grinning Quinn.

"This _doesn't _mean you win Fabray…I just need a moment then I get to make _you _squirm, that was cruel by the way, making me wait like that."

She murmured half heartedly as the athlete continued to kiss her collarbone and shoulders lightly, her hand drawing faint shapes on Rachel's bare back as she snuggled in close. At the feel of something very hard and hot nudging her in the abdomen the diva looked down with her eyes wide.

"You're _still _hard?"

Flushing slightly Quinn shrugged a shoulder awkwardly and placed another gentle kiss on the brunette's forehead.

"It was about you Rach, _not _me…I can wait."

Feeling the length of Quinn's obviously _very _alert and _very _hard cock against her stirred up reserves of energy the diva wasn't aware she had and she slowly levered herself up with a slow smile.

"Well it's not about me _now_…so maybe you should be the one to lie back."

The blonde opened her mouth to object that there was really no rush but instead it turned into a surprised gasp when she felt Rachel's subtly strong hands push her down and onto her back. She watched as the brunette looked down and arched an eyebrow at the long thick cock that was so erect it was almost bent back on itself, reaching down she took hold of it firmly and began to stroke up and down, twisting slightly as she neared the tip, she watched entranced as the beads of pre come started to gather on the tip. Quinn was literally in Rachel's hands now, her own gripping the sheet either side of her tightly, heels digging firmly into the mattress as her hips moved with the motions of the diva's hand.

"Oh…_Raaaachel_…I…I'm gonna…"

Bringing her other hand into play Rachel lightly took hold of the athlete's balls and squeezed tightly, not enough to cause pain, but more than enough to help slow Quinn's release. Rachel would be lying if she didn't feel at least a _tiny _bit of satisfaction at repaying the blondes actions from earlier.

"Not yet you don't, you're not the only one who feels a bit…_hungry _Fabray."

Blinking lust heavy eyelids Quinn looked down to where Rachel was scooting lower on the bed her mouth moving towards the bright pink head of the blondes cock.

"Y…you don't have to…_ohdeargod_!"

She trailed off, her words crashing together inelegantly as she felt Rachel's tongue reach out and tentatively swipe across the very tip of her straining cock, tasting the pre come with a thoughtful expression. The fact the diva was savouring the pearly liquid on the tip of her tongue was enough to make Quinn tremble and she had to bite her lip to stop from begging. Internally Rachel smiled, knowing _exactly _the effect she was having on the athlete and she lowered her head even further and swallowed the first two inches of Quinn's cock eagerly.

The blondes heels dug into the bed again and they both heard a faint tear as the sheets ripped in the blondes powerful grip, deciding that she owed the girl beneath her at least _one _mind blowing orgasm Rachel turned her attention fully to the task and she brought a hand forward to fondle Quinn's balls, making sure to run the tip of her thumb nail over the seam. The athlete _did _whimper at that and then moaned deep in her throat as she felt the diva's hot, wet and hungry mouth swallow more of her down, even as her hand worked rapidly at the base pumping and twisting the hot flesh she felt pulsing in her hand. Despite her best efforts Quinn knew it wasn't going to be long and fighting the intense arousal she could feel coiling thickly in her abdomen she managed to gasp out a warning.

"R…Rach I _cant _hold on much longer…I'm gonna _cum_…y…you need to…"

She stopped when instead of pulling _away _from her cock Rachel swallowed even more of her and then moaned against the length, the vibration coupled with the sucking wet heat and the stroking of her balls was too much and she jerked unsteadily as she felt herself release rope after rope of thick white cum from her dick, Rachel swallowed it as fast as it spilled from Quinn, and _this _time it was the blonde who lay limply on the mattress while the diva slowly extracted the girls cock from her mouth, making sure to lick it clean before she moved up next to the breathless athlete who managed to mumble.

"You didn't _have _to do that, I didn't think women liked that, swallowing I mean."

Rachel wiped the corners of her mouth daintily which made Quinn giggle tiredly then smile as the brunette snuggled up next to her with a happy sigh.

"Well, I don't know about _other _women, but personally speaking I would never _think _of spitting out my girlfriends cum."

Quinn smiled happily then abruptly turned to look at Rachel, blinking she muttered softly.

"_Girlfriend_?"

Rachel nodded matter of factly, and turning so she was leaning on her elbow and peering down at Quinn's face, which was finally losing it's orgasmic flush, she smiled.

"I should certainly hope so after that! I don't do that for just _anyone_…just my incredibly hot, sensitive and amazing _girlfriend_."

Leaning down she placed a gentle kiss onto Quinn's lips and felt her smile against her mouth and pull her in for a proper kiss, as Rachel finally pulled back she raised an eyebrow at the tent in the bed sheet's.

"_Already _Miss Fabray?"

Shrugging self consciously Quinn couldn't help the proud grin as she looked down at her rather eager cock.

"I guess she knows she only gets a few days a week and now she has _you _she wants to make the most of it."

Pausing for only a moment Rachel rolled onto her back and pulled the blonde on top of her kissing her for a long and thorough moment. She pulled back breathlessly and groaned as she felt Quinn moving against her on instinct.

"Do you…have protection? I mean I'm on birth control but…"

Smiling softly the blonde just nodded her head and reaching over and across Rachel she pulled a box of condom's from the nightstand and with shaking hands fumbled one of the little foil squares out of the box, swearing as she dropped it in the bed. The diva snagged it easily and sat up taking Quinn with her. The blonde reached for the condom only to have Rachel pull it away and shake her head.

"I want to do it for you."

Unable to formulate words or sentences at that moment Quinn just shook her head loosely and watched as the brunette easily tore open the packet and with one hand held the now fully erect cock again and with the other placed the latex ring on the tip of Quinn's cock, in one smooth motion she rolled it down and over the throbbing appendage, the blonde let out a low moan and gently but quickly pushed Rachel back onto the bed. They were both so turned on it didn't take long for Quinn to feel that Rachel was wet enough to take her but she paused and locked eyes with her girlfriend before whispering against the full and kiss swollen lips.

"You're _sure_?"

Reaching up with one hand that had previously been resting on Quinn's shoulder the diva cupped one flushed cheek gently and nodded, leaning down to capture Rachel's lips in a gentle kiss Quinn used one hand to guide herself to her girlfriends entrance and with one swift thrust she pushed inside, the brunette was no stranger to penetration thanks to her rabbit but even so she gasped and held Quinn immobile while she adjusted to the sheer size of the blondes cock. Remaining in place despite the fact her more animal instincts were telling her to pound into the girl beneath her, Quinn let out a breath and rotated her hips gently a few times to help Rachel adjust. After a few moments she felt the sharp nails of the brunette dig into her shoulders painfully and looking down into brown trusting eyes she started to move.

It was hesitant at first, neither of them had done this before and they needed to find their rhythm, their bodies seemed to know what they needed to do however and soon they were moving together, Rachel's legs came up and wrapped around Quinn's waist crossing at the ankles to force the blonde closer against her. The athlete however needed _no _further encouragement and her hips were moving faster and faster, the way Rachel's walls gripped her cock so tightly was enough to make her eyes roll back into her head and she changed her angle to try and hit the sweet spot in her girlfriend she had found earlier with her fingers, she let out an exultant growl of triumph as she felt the tip of her dick hit the spot. It was over moments afterwards as Rachel cried out her release and her nails tore across the skin of Quinn's shoulders again, the moment of pleasure/pain combined with her girlfriends wet warmth squeezing her cock tightly caused her to shoot her load with a few last thrusts before she half collapsed on top of the diva with a light laugh.

"_Jesus _Rachel…you're _amazing_, you know that?"

She whispered and lightly kissed the sweat matted hair plastered across the brunettes brow, Rachel laughed shakily in return and groaned as Quinn pulled out of her.

"You're not so bad yourself there Captain."

Discarding the condom hastily the blonde gently nudged Rachel over to the other side of the bed and away from the wet spot before wrapping her arms around her, the brunette smiled once more at the effortless bit of thoughtfulness and kissed a sweaty temple before she yawned. There _were _still questions they both had but the most important ones were over and done, they could worry about who had what side of the bed and whether or not Quinn would acquiesce to college later, for now they knew all they needed to know and the blonde couldn't help but think that for an ex con she had one _Hell _of a future in front of her. Thinking back to when they first met each other she couldn't help chuckling and as one sleepy eyebrow rose she murmured against the shell of Rachel's ear.

"I reckon the taste of Cheerio's is growing on me."

Slapping the athletes midriff with the flat of her hand Rachel muttered a reply through a yawn.

"Funny…_I _was just thinking how Froot Loops weren't as toxic as I originally thought."

They both fell asleep, nuzzling into each other with stupid yet infinitely satisfied smiles on their faces.

_And it's done, my foray into were peen and rather more explicit and adult content than I'm used to lol, I apologise in advance if it sucks but someone told me there was no way they could see me writing it so of course I had to try it just to see if I could and even if it does suck I'm just proud I finished it…Yay me! Now it's time to watch a bit of classic horror courtesy of John Carpenter, though I'm torn between the original uncut version of Halloween or the movie version of Christine…hmm, decisions, decisions! Anyway feel free to drop me a line if it was bloody awful so I know not to try again, I know it was meant to be short but I had to give them some background and it ended up much longer than anticipated, as always you guys bring the love and are loved for it! XXX_


	2. Chapter 2

_I did not intend to write a sequel to Cheerio's & Froot Loops but…sadly my muse has decided otherwise. In fact I'm pretty sure that ever since I let my muse out of her cage she has decided to kill me by working me to death! Anyway this takes place towards the very end of their senior year with their college decisions on the horizon so you'd think everything is sweetness and light…until Jesse comes back to town…Not to mention the family upheaval, all of which gives you guys a cracking story (if I translate it from my muse properly that is) with plenty of action, romance and a little bit of angst…just enough to make the romance taste all the sweeter! BTW I still suck at smut so you may want to give the last thousand words or so a miss! lol love ya all xxx_

Quinn could feel her calf muscles burning as she rounded turn nineteen of the course. Again, she pondered if it was at all possible to kick yourself in the ass while running; she knew that letting Sue bloody Sylvester talk her into cross-country running as well as track was a mistake! However as this was the penultimate race it was kinda late in the game to be playing the regret card. Avoiding a patch of overgrown poison ivy that the ground crews had obviously missed when they went over the course earlier, the blonde grunted slightly when her cross trainers impacted the dirt track again. Half a mile to go and there was one runner behind her close enough to catch up, actually Quinn would have to fall pretty hard and stay down for a while to lose the lead. However, one thing you learnt quickly in any competitive sport was that anything could happen.

In an attempt to take her mind off her aching muscles, the athlete let herself think about what was waiting for her at the end of the track. A small smile crept across her face and to anyone watching it probably looked like the twelve-mile run had driven her nuts. However, anyone that knew her personally would just roll their eyes knowingly, Rachel Berry was at the finish line and despite Sue's various and continued protests was in her full Cheerio get up. Firstly, because she considered herself to be the blonde's very own personal cheerleader, and secondly, because she knew Quinn found her undeniably hot in it. There was also the fact that, due to a lost bet with the ex- convict, Santana and Brittany were also there in their cheerleader outfits. And the fact that Rachel was making them actively cheer caused the smile to turn into a wide grin and Quinn found a little more energy to push herself a little faster.

At least her lungs weren't burning yet, that was the worst pain one could experience whilst running. If your muscles started hurting, they eventually went past that barrier and sent you into the zone. But once your breathing went to shit you were fucked, in fact ninety percent of long distance running came down to breath control. Luckily, Quinn had damn good breath control, though she wished that had come from extensive aerobics or a sporty outlook. Sadly it had not, when she was in Juvie she learnt to take deep breaths and hold them for a damn long time, long enough that she didn't end up choking when held underwater. Still, considering NYU was on the verge of offering her a full scholarship to join their athletics division, she safely considered herself to have gotten the last laugh. Her grades were more than good enough and although her father had left her some money, she would definitely be much better off with a full scholarship, otherwise she would need to take an almost full-time job on top of track team commitments and the workload of a mechanical engineering course.

Rachel and her mom were over the moon that she had finally relented when it came to attending college. Until that less than graceful admittance of defeat on Quinn's part, she had found herself in several fiery and vocal disagreements with both of them. A part of her was still desperate to blow off the whole idea of college and join up as soon as she walked away with her diploma. But the one thing her mother told her that clinched it was the fact that her father had always encouraged her interest and love of engineering. Apparently, he wanted her to have more to her name than a pilot's licence, although he knew she would always follow in his footsteps, he had regretted the fact that he had never accepted his college offer. So if only for him, Quinn finally agreed that she would attend college so long as it was in New York so she could stay with Rachel and her other friends at least.

Both Mike and Artie had gotten into MIT, and although Mike's heart was actually set on dancing and he would have preferred Julliard (where he was also accepted), he also wasn't feeling strong enough to fight his father on the decision…though he still hadn't turned them down. Rachel and Kurt had defied expectation and both gotten into NYADA, which is why for the last several weeks, they had driven the rest of their friends nuts with talk about what shows they would see and when. Brittany and Blaine had both gotten into Julliard as well, Brit for the dancing and Blaine decided to pursue acting as a career. The only one of them who had been tight-lipped so far was Santana, no one had found out what was going on with her, not even Brittany. Puck surprised everyone by getting a football scholarship to UCLA (Though the fact his mother had gotten Rachel to tutor him extensively over the last year had no doubt helped) no one really knew about Finn but word was he was planning to take a job assisting coach Beiste.

The pain in her legs had passed finally and now she just felt the odd floating invincible feeling that came afterwards. She hoped she would have a chance to sneak off with Rachel and ease her muscles in her hot tub before dinner that night. Thoughts of dinner made her frown as despite spending the last few days trying to work out what it was about she had no idea. At the start of the week, her mother had told her and Rachel to keep Friday evening clear and free, as she wanted them to eat with her. It couldn't be about college because they had gotten past that. It certainly shouldn't be about safe sex as that conversation had taken place the morning after they slept together for the first time. On a scale of embarrassing moments it had to rate a good ten out of five! It included Rachel having to confide to Quinn's mom what her birth control method was and Quinn revealing the brand of condom she would be using during her 'time of the month'.

After thoroughly researching both items on the internet while both girls sat on the sofa wondering when the idea of being open with your parents had turned into a bad one, Judy had finally smiled, agreed they were reliable methods and then offered to cook them breakfast. The athlete rolled her eyes at the memory as she ducked a low branch with a frown. Only about a quarter of a mile now and she had still had one last burst of energy left in reserve for the home stretch. That last quarter mile however included a sharp corner which dipped down into a steep decline, one you had to perfectly balance yourself for and it was famous for causing last minute upset's. In preparation however, Quinn had come out here with Rachel for the past three weeks to run it from every different angle just to make sure of the best one. She was fairly confident she would be able to take it without any risk of going head over heels, she hoped so anyway as it was a popular place for the race viewers to gather.

She had no idea what her time was for the race however, the one and only time she had tried to wear a watch while running, she had chosen the wrong time to glance at it and ended up running smack bang into a tree. She only wished that Santana hadn't been watching it and caught it on her I Phone, especially as it got several thousand hits on You tube. She took solace in the fact that Rachel had made the next two weeks of cheerleader training sheer hell for the Latina. Letting out her breath and adjusting her breathing for the steep drop ahead, Quinn looked up briefly towards the gathered crowd. Steve had said he might be able to make it for this one, he tried to go to as many of her races as he could, whether they were the track ones or the cross country. In fact he'd been around a lot this past year, she worked with him a few afternoons and on Sunday's, but he had been to several meals and even a parent teacher conference.

She smiled slightly thinking her dad would probably be pretty happy that his best friend was keeping such a close eye on her, and if she were honest it was kinda nice to have a father figure around sometimes. A flash of something caught her eye in the assembled crowd and she almost lost her footing. It wasn't Steve but she could have sworn for just a minute that she had seen that asshole Jesse St James. The gradient was moments away but Quinn's mind was now anywhere but the run. That flash of brown curly hair, the insufferable grin…she was sure she had seen it! Peering closer between checking her footfalls, a couple of track-suited adults parted and she knew she hadn't been wrong. He was standing there with his arms folded as he stared down at her. Swearing, she realised as she looked away that the turn was a step away…and she was definitely not in the best position to take it anymore.

It took some fancy footwork and maybe more hopping than a runner should generally use but she managed to keep her feet under her right up until the halfway point where the roots of a long ago felled tree still stuck out from the earthy wall which the course had been carved into. In an effort not to get the toe of her sneaker caught under it, she shifted her weight too far to one side and didn't need the audio cue of the onlookers gasping as she started to go over. Bracing as best as possible, she managed to get her forearm out in front of her face as she hit the ground. There was a sharp and persistent pain along the edge of it and at her temple as she rolled. In an attempt to try and regain her feet as soon as possible the blonde literally stood straight away, something her ankle protested and she went down again. This time she didn't get her arms up in time and her knee took the brunt of the impact, as a searing pain shot from her knee through to her ankle Quinn bit down on a curse.

Behind her she could hear the next runner approaching the bend and with a Herculean effort hauled herself back up and started a half limp half jog to try and find a rhythm her body wouldn't protest too much. She could hear the onlookers cheering her on and very faintly, she was fairly sure she could hear laughter. She didn't need to be a genius to work out whom the laughter would be coming from and internally she swore and pushed herself harder when the previous second place runner took her over. Well she could take a second place finish as it wouldn't hurt her overall standings too badly, but if she had hurt anything major, she would have to pull out of the last cross country and that would cost her.

She knew if Rachel was there she would want her to take it easy, citing the fact that the risk of extensive injuries was not worth the difference. Quinn however reminded herself that Rachel wasn't there and what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Squaring her jaw, she pushed the pain to the back of her mind and started running again instead of jogging. Behind her she could vaguely hear the third place runner approaching and with the first runner only a hundred or so yards in front of her she was damned if she was dropping another place. As they turned the last corner and went into the final straight she could faintly make out the forms of the Cheerio's. Time for the final push and with grim determination, the blonde swiped at the sweat dripping from her forehead, cringing when she realised it was blood. _Great Rachel is going to go ape shit at me now!_ Piling on the power, she dug deep for that last reserve of energy and just ran like hell.

It wasn't neat, and it sure as hell wasn't graceful because despite the athlete's reserve of power and drive she was hurting. It was however just enough to push her back into first place…by about an inch! Rachel was cheering the loudest of all (as per usual) but she was pretty sure she could hear some cheering come from Brittany and Santana as well. Sue was standing there with her arms crossed looking less than pleased and again Quinn wondered why the accursed woman had to oversee track this year. As she finally came to a stop, she also became aware of how much her leg was hurting. Feeling slightly wobbly, she collapsed on the benches that had been laid out. Rachel was there in a second and her face was not reflecting the proud girlfriend look. It was instead reflecting the half concerned, half stern look that Quinn knew she shouldn't find sweet but did anyway. Grinning dopily, she held her arms out.

"Come on Cheerio, gimme a hug already, I just won!"

Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, the brunette instead took the first aid kit from the Red Cross guy that had just run up. When he opened his mouth to protest the action, she glared so hard at him that Santana tried not to laugh. Quinn had no compunction however and chuckled slightly.

"Sweetie, I'm fine I just took a tumble on that damn steep incline. I got…distracted by something and next thing I knew, bam!"

Huffing, Rachel pulled the large bottle of antiseptic out of the kit and Quinn blanched. Even the thought of complaining however froze in her throat when she was pinned by slightly hurt brown ones.

"Quinn Fabray you may find it amusing to get injured but when I saw you running in with blood on your face and down your leg…you scared me you big jerk!"

Opening her mouth to apologise, she instead emitted a high- pitched yelp as Rachel squirted the disinfectant into the open wound. Beside her, Santana smirked at the athlete's reaction.

"Christ suck it up Q, you're meant to be a badass, what badass can't take a little disinfectant?"

Narrowing her eyes, Quinn waited till Rachel wasn't looking then flipped off the Latina who merely rolled her eyes while Brittany looked between the two of them disapprovingly. She then turned back to her girlfriend and reaching out, caught her hand to still the movements of the brunette who was wiping at the blood to clean it enough to see the actual wound.

"Hey…I'm sorry okay? I just didn't want to blow my chances at that scholarship and it doesn't hurt that bad. Couple of Advil and some ice and I'll be fine."

Her soft tone got through to the diva, as did her reason and the brown eyes softened as she squeezed Quinn's hand in return.

"I'm sorry too…and it was a fantastic win baby. I just can't help it, when I see you bleeding, it tends to make me nervous?"

Smiling crookedly, Quinn shrugged one shoulder and leaning down kissed Rachel softly while masking a wince.

"I think my knee's the worst. I just grazed my head and elbow when I went down but my knee took a hell of a crack."

Sue walked over and even Rachel knew enough to back up a little so the borderline insane coach could look the injury over.

"Looks like you might need a few stitches in that Q, what did you do fall on a spike? I expected better of you I have to admit. You think navigating that hillock of an incline was hard? Try doing it with landmines going off all around you and grenades flying at your face…THAT'S hard!"

Unable to work out quite how to respond to that statement, Quinn opened her mouth and glanced at the three Cheerio's who all imperceptibly shook their heads, she closed it again and just waited. After a moment, Sue turned to Rachel and the head Cheerio straightened under the gaze unconsciously. Sue smiled to herself; good to see she still had these girls where she wanted them.

"Berry, take Q to the hospital…and by hospital I don't mean back to your place where you can play whatever lesbian- based Dr and Nurse games it is you two normally get up to, I mean a real hospital where hopefully more healing than screwing goes on."

Despite becoming used to the eccentric coach's out of left field statements, Quinn couldn't quite stop the bright red flush that spread oh-so-tellingly across her face. Behind her, Santana smirked at the giveaway sign and Rachel shuffled whilst trying to glare at the same time, Brittany just looked confused. Sue turned her eye on the Latina, enjoying the familiar straightening of the spine.

"And you can stop laughing fun bags, don't think I don't know what you and cheerleader Barbie get up to in my showers!"

At that Brittany smiled and it was Santana's turn to turn crimson. Not that she felt even the slightest embarrassment at the act, itself; the fact that Sue knew however definitely unsettled her! Quinn smirked at her friend while Sue wasn't looking at her but quickly blanked her expression when the coach turned back to them.

"Berry, do you understand or do I have to get tickle me dough face and the rainbow warbler to sing it for you?"

Bristling slightly at the coach's nicknames for her friends Kurt and Blaine, Rachel nevertheless managed to nod and with a brief nod, Sue stalked off. Brittany immediately skipped over to the two and sat down next to Quinn who was wincing as Rachel wrapped a bandage round her knee.

"Hey Q, do you want me to carry you to Rachel's car? I can do it easily and Santana would probably drop you!"

Santana grinned evilly confirming that fact and Quinn just rolled her eyes as she turned to face Brittany with a smile.

"It's okay Brit, I think I'm fine to walk to the car, it's only a little cut."

Rachel promptly looked up at her with pleading eyes and with a heavy heart the athlete prepared herself for a lecture she knew she wouldn't be able to resist. Luckily, or maybe unluckily given your viewpoint, Santana was getting impatient for some alone time with her girlfriend so with a heavy sigh she cleared her throat pointedly getting all their attention.

"Let me save you all some time here okay? Rachel is going to look beseechingly at you with her Bambi eyes and come up with about fifty different reasons why you should let Brittany carry you to the car. You will be stubborn and obstinate at first because your pride get's in the way but you will eventually succumb to Rachel when she bites her lip because you always do. So let's save some time and then you guys can get to your family meal and I can get me some Brit time!"

Quinn and Rachel looked at each other for a brief moment in shock then the blonde ran her hand through her hair and smiled shyly at Rachel, who did indeed bite her lip as she smiled. Brittany leapt up and efficiently lifted the athlete into her arms, Quinn yelped slightly in shock then realised that was the end of things as far as the blonde dancer was concerned. Santana's word was law! Rachel sighed as she half glared at her 2IC.

"I should be mad at you, we like our little debates you know. However, I am thankful for your timely intervention."

Sighing, the Latina just watched with a fond smile as Brittany walked along in front of them telling Quinn a story about two ducks on the pond that she and San kept trying to adopt.

"Yeah well, as much as it sickens me to admit it, you and the prize fighter over there are sort of meant to be together. Although you really need to learn to talk like a real human rather than in your own little Rachel fashion."

Rolling her eyes, Rachel turned round and assumed her 'in charge' pose as she drew breath to begin her lecture. Before she could get started however, Santana bolted forwards to walk beside the two blondes, stamping her foot in irritation, Rachel ran forwards as well and Quinn smiled at her.

"Hey baby…I hope mom doesn't freak out at this, we need to be home in time for that dinner she keeps harping on about."

Smiling back, the brunette reached out and ruffled the messy blonde strands for a moment.

"Don't worry I'll see if I can get daddy to look at you. Sometimes nepotism is a good thing! We will definitely make it to the dinner though, for whatever reason your mother has been really anxious."

Blowing her hair out of her eyes, Quinn waited while Brittany helped her into Rachel's car, almost as soon as she was seated, Santana grabbed her girlfriend's hand and yelled a goodbye over her shoulder as she pulled the smiling dancer away with a wave. Once the doors were closed, Quinn reached over and catching Rachel by the collar of her Cheerio's top, she pulled her in for a proper kiss. After a moments shock, Rachel more than happily returned it.

"What's that for?"

The blonde smirked slightly and shrugging one shoulder, leaned in so she could whisper hoarsely to her girlfriend.

"You needed to congratulate me properly, I did win after all, plus…you know how damn hot I find you in that outfit."

Nipping the lobe of the ear underneath her lips, Quinn kissed it lightly before moving down the slope of Rachel's neck to bite gently at the diva's collarbone.

"This is not fair…and it will not deter me from taking you to the hospital to get the stitches…y…you need to…um sort out your kn…knee!"

Despite her protestations, her eyes fluttered shut and grinning in triumph, the athlete moved over her girlfriend until she was more on the driver's side of the car than her own. Making sure not to knock her throbbing knee on the dashboard, she gently manoeuvred Rachel until she was underneath her. Leaning her left arm on the seat in order to brace herself, she slid the right one very purposefully up underneath the incredibly flattering Cheerio's top. Even with her eyes closed and mouth busy keeping Rachel from talking, she managed to slide her hand to the soft skin underneath the diva's breast. Scratching lightly, she mentally fist bumped herself when she felt Rachel shudder underneath her. Knowing a person's weak spot's may be considered an unfair advantage but if it kept her away from needles and stitches she was all good with that.

Unfortunately, Rachel was also well aware of weak spots and thanks to having to live up to her HBIC reputation to keep McKinley a tolerant school, she had no qualms about using that knowledge either. The scratch on the sensitive skin was the step too far that let her know Quinn was stalling in an attempt to avoid a hospital encounter. As the blonde athlete moved her mouth across the brunette's jaw and towards the sensitive skin just behind her ear, Rachel made her move. She ran her hand down Quinn's side lightly, bypassing the ticklish spot (the accidental discovery of that particular area had resulted in the athlete yelping in a shocked giggle and falling out of bed at a highly inopportune moment) the diva headed lower, past supple hips and down. She almost hesitated when she felt even white teeth nip at the spot behind her ear that made her eyes roll to the back of her head. Almost but not quite, and she subtly ran her hand down until she brushed ever so lightly across the top of the heavily bandaged knee.

The reaction was immediate and unequivocal. Quinn sat up sharply hissing in pain and biting down on her lower lip to keep the profanity to a minimum. She had learnt early on the little diva had no tolerance for swearing…unless it was a highly exceptional circumstance. Quinn had a feeling that being caught out lying so you could avoid needles was _not _an exceptional circumstance. Waiting until she had both her breathing and expression back under control, the athlete finally opened her eyes. Yeah…Rachel did not look at all impressed at the failed seduction and blowing out a breath, Quinn had the dignity to at least shrug.

"Can you blame a girl for trying?"

Huffing slightly, Rachel pushed the blonde firmly but carefully off of her and sat up straight again. She kept her brown eyes fixed firmly on her girlfriend. Sighing, Quinn sat back up carefully and rolling her hazel eyes in what could be construed as a child- like sulk, clicked her seat belt on and folded her arms. Although Rachel would never confess it to the girl herself, she found the athlete's pout unbearably cute. Managing to keep her expression stern, she started the car and pulled out before talking.

"Quinn you're eighteen now and the thought of getting stitches and possibly a shot should not be reducing you to a pouting three year old."

Unable or unwilling to come up with a retort, the blonde instead sank lower in her seat and muttered.

"You are…"

Raising a sharp eyebrow, Rachel turned to glare.

"Don't sulk like that. I'll be right there and if you promise not to give the doctors and nurses a hard time…I'll reward you later."

Against her wishes, a smirk snuck across Quinn's face and glancing out the side of her eye, she saw the small but genuine smile mirrored on her girlfriend.

"So…this reward, would it be something I might get to enjoy while lying down?"

Laughing softly, Rachel chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. She didn't answer however until they were stopped at the lights, then she turned her head and with a distinctly lascivious edge to her voice whispered.

"Eventually yes, though I prefer if we start standing up, I enjoy testing your stamina that way."

Embarrassed to admit that she felt light headed just at the thought, Quinn cleared her throat and fiddled with the zip on her warm up jacket while she remembered how to talk.

"Rachel, this is completely unfair, I hope you realise that, I mean…I'm pretty sure it counts as emotional blackmail or something."

Grinning widely at that point, Rachel thanked God or more appropriately in this case, Satan for blessing her with a friend like Santana. If not for her she would have felt a little intimidated at the skill's Quinn displayed. However with a little advice from Santana and a lot of research on certain websites, Rachel had proceeded to quite simply blow the blonde's mind, amongst other things.

"I don't seem to recall you doing much complaining last time, in fact all I remember was being ordered to speed up…or go harder."

Flushing slightly, Quinn actually looked around as though worried that someone might be in the back of the car that would hear them. Realising what she was doing she cleared her throat and then smirked slightly.

"Enjoy it while it lasts Cheerio, only a couple more days till I'm due my time of the month. Then we'll see who's begging who."

Now it was Rachel's turn to pout, _that _was something of an unfair advantage. Especially as there wasn't any way she could ask her friend for advice on that, not without revealing her girlfriend's secret, which was something she wasn't prepared to do. Although they had started out with hostility that had gradually given way to passion and respect, their relationship had continued to evolve. It was safe to say the two were each other's rocks and were rapidly becoming inseparable. Since their first time when Rachel had used slightly direct methods to gain the blonde's attention, the two had agreed to slow it down a little in the physical sense, in order to get to know each other better. And it had worked, amazingly well in fact as not only did they date properly as a couple, they also found that Quinn's mother and Rachel's fathers got on like a house on fire. As a result, the two families had spent numerous holidays together over the last year including Thanksgiving, Halloween and Easter.

There was even talk of a joint Christmas celebration, something Rachel's daddy (Leroy) was very eager for as both Hiram and Rachel weren't big celebrators of that holiday. Quinn was generally relaxed about most things, she got angry still if Jesse St James was mentioned or anyone started slamming teenage mothers. Apart from that however, she had a surprisingly relaxed approach to most of the things that stressed Rachel and her friends out. She wasn't phased by exams, peer pressure or the occasional rounds of heckling she and Rachel sometimes got from opposing teams when Rachel was cheering or Quinn was running. There was one time a guy thought it would be funny to try and dress up like Rachel and imitate her but he had somehow fallen from the bleachers and broken his leg. Something the athlete had sworn she wasn't involved in, even though Rachel was sure she had seen her girlfriend and Santana exchange a subtle fist bump shortly after the guy's fall.

Shaking herself from her memories, Rachel just sighed and glanced across at the all too smug looking blonde before smiling innocently.

"Well I guess that depends on how many stitches you end up having in your knee doesn't it? You may not be up to much if you're told to keep it elevated and rested!"

Sighing dramatically, Quinn couldn't help but smile at the gentle teasing and she leant across to steal a quick kiss before the lights changed.

"You're lucky I love you Berry."

Smiling back happily Rachel nodded in agreement.

"I know…now remember not to look at the needle when they inject you okay, _if _they inject you that is."

Hazel eyes widened in mild panic.

"If they stitch me up they have to don't they? I don't want a needle going in and out of my skin if they don't numb me…that would kind of hurt, as in a lot and I can't be seen to faint as I have a reputation to protect."

At that, the tiny diva chuckled and although Quinn attempted to glare at her girlfriend reprovingly, she failed quite epically.

"Sweetie, I hate to remind you of this but the whole school saw you cry when that cat got hit by a car. Until then you had a reputation, after that, they all know you're just a regular girl with a massive heart."

Caught between another sigh and a smile, Quinn settled for rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I hate how you manage to word things so that I can never take offence at them. It's infuriating; I hope you realise that."

Shrugging slightly, Rachel turned into the hospital car park and began the hunt for a space close to the entrance.

"It's part of my charm, the ability to out talk Socrates. And anyway I thought it was amazingly heroic of you to dash out amongst all those cars to rescue the poor thing."

Quinn blushed and tried to shrug it off as she muttered.

"Yeah well anyone would have done the same Rach, it's just that I was nearer than most."

Sliding into a spot an elderly couple had just vacated, Rachel killed the ignition and turned to face Quinn with an expression of pure disbelief.

"Quinn Fabray may I remind you that you actually _leapt _over a car and were subsequently hit by one on your way to rescue Oliver Twist, and then you spent the money you had saved to take your pilot's licence test to make sure he had the operation he needed."

Wincing slightly at the brunette's words, Quinn sighed.

"Rach honey, that isn't his name! I keep telling you he's too tough and gnarly to have a wimpy name like 'Oliver'! His name is Tom, as in the F14 Tomcat. It's a cool and tough name for a cat that got hit by a car, lost a leg but still soldiers on."

Huffing slightly, Rachel held down the urge to stamp her foot in irritation and crossed her arms stubbornly instead.

"Oliver Twist was a stray too, and he survived a lot and ended up living with really kind people just like Oliver the cat ended up living with you and your mom. Not that I think she likes it _or _him as much as you do."

They both shared a slight wince as they remembered Judy's reaction when she found that Oliver/Tom had shredded the back of the couch by using it for a scratching post. Or the fact he always snuck into the laundry room and got black hairs all over the clean folded clothes. Even the fact he brought her regular presents of mice and birds didn't overly endear him to Quinn's mother…of course they _were _still alive at the time, which didn't help. Quinn had lost count of the amount of times she had been woken early in the morning by her mother's shrieking. Inevitably, the athlete would spend the majority of her school preparation time chasing down whatever little gift the three- legged black cat had brought home.

"Well we had a talk about that and I think he knows that those kinds of gifts are definitely not cool! And we can discuss his name more later…I guess seeing as how he's sort of both of ours really. I mean you did buy his bed and toys and stuff, plus I kind of like the idea of him being both of ours…is that dumb?"

Finishing shyly, Quinn rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at Rachel curiously. Smiling widely in response, the diva took one pale hand and gently kissed the knuckles.

"I think it's something I love the sound of too baby. Now come on the quicker we get you in there and stitched up, the quicker we can get home and cleaned up for your mom's dinner."

Sighing, the blonde nodded and tried not to look like she was being led to her doom. It wasn't that she hated hospitals so much as she hated needles. She hadn't confided it to anyone but Rachel but she was kinda (or a _lot _if she was honest) phobic when it came to injections. Therefore, the thought of stitches was enough to turn her stomach and leave her feeling faint before they had even gotten in there. Leaning heavily on the HBIC, Quinn made her way into the E.R and tried not to pout too much as they went through the filling out of the paperwork. Eventually, she went in to see a doctor who looked exhausted, Quinn smiled winningly as the raw mess that was her kneecap was revealed.

"You look kinda tired there Doc, I mean if you want to just clean it and send me on my way I would _totally _understand!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow before running a hand over her long hair and turning to face Rachel with a small smile.

"So is she scared of Doctors in general or is there something specific?"

Rachel grinned while Quinn huffed and muttered to herself whilst being ignored by both the other occupants of the cubicle.

"You could say she has a slight phobia of needles yes."

The doctor turned back to inspect the gaping wound and pulled a face as she inspected it.

"Well…it needs cleaning out, you did a good job but there's still some dirt in there. I think it's going to be a cleanout and then maybe nineteen odd stitches to close it over. After that you'll be good to go."

Despite the cheery tone in the weary doctor's voice, Quinn groaned and paling, let her head fall into her hands. Rachel chuckled and laying a conciliatory hand on the blondes shoulder, nodded for the doctor to continue. Despite the shaking from nerves, Quinn managed to make it through the procedure and by the time she was given a prescription for the pain later, she was nice and comfortably dozy. Rachel helped her into the car and when they got back to the athlete's home she made sure she got in okay before heading back to her own place to dress for that evening's dinner. By the time she got back to Quinn's house, the blonde was alert again, showered and dressed in loose jeans, a soft white button down shirt and some worn western style ankle boots. Rachel raised an impressed eyebrow and gave a low whistle.

"_Nice_, you scrub up fairly well Fabray."

Rolling her hazel eyes, Quinn could not quite hide the amusement they held. With a small smile, she bent down to place a kiss on the smirking lips of her girlfriend.

"You're not looking so bad yourself there Cheerio."

Glancing pointedly at the tight fitting but flattering deep green dress, Quinn smiled happily. Shrugging a shoulder as though she was well aware of how good she looked, Rachel flipped her hair with one hand.

"I know, it's all part of maintaining the HBIC image. Look hot, maintain the best GPA in the school and date the biggest jock."

Folding her arms and leaning on the wall beside her, Quinn raised one eyebrow in its most impressive arch ever.

"Well, firstly, you only have the _second _highest GPA in the school, and that's a joint second place with _me _let me remind you. _Mike _has the highest GPA and there are _so _many jocks that are like…way jockier than me!"

Rachel tried not to laugh as she regarded the blonde in front of her.

"Well in answer to your assertion about my GPA, I was referring to the female students so Mike doesn't count. Secondly, if you keep using words like _jockier _instead of more obvious and oh…_real _words like athletic or physical, then we won't be joint top for much longer. And while they may be jockier, as you so eloquently put it, they are most certainly _not _as goddamned gorgeous."

She walked closer to Quinn as she talked and by the time she uttered the last few words, she was toe to toe with the rapidly reddening athlete whose back was now against the wall. Glancing around to check that her mother was not in view, she smiled shyly and rested her forehead on Rachel's.

"You're just biased, you know that right…plus isn't your ex like a total jock as well?"

Brown eyes rolled slightly and small tan hands reached up to tangle in the short choppy blonde locks.

"I'd rather not be reminded of _him _when all I can think of is tearing those jeans off and shoving my fingers so far inside of you that you won't be able to walk straight for a _week_."

It always turned Quinn on like nothing else when she heard Rachel talk this way, even _without _the profanity it made her weak at the knees and she was glad for the wall at her back. Biting her lip to hold in the whimper that was trying to get loose, Quinn looked heavenward and murmured a prayer. Rachel chuckled and nipping lightly at Quinn's chin, she finally pulled back.

"However, for now we have a meal to sit through though, after that I expect you to drive me home and then let me have my way with you."

Managing to regain the use of her legs at the same time as she re-grasped the concept of language, Quinn shook herself and rushed to catch up with Rachel's swaying hips. Skidding to a stop next to the diva, she bent her head slightly until she could whisper hoarsely.

"That was so not fair Berry! All I'm gonna say is when my co pilot gets here, you are _definitely _going to regret that."

Turning around so she was facing the athlete and away from Judy she allowed her pleasant smile to turn mischievous again and winked slightly. One hand reached out and ran purposefully across the crotch of Quinn's jeans as she half growled out.

"Not that you _need _that particular appendage to fuck me into a coma, I have to say that I was hoping you would say that."

With one last smirk, the tiny diva turned on her heel and headed towards the counter where Judy was frantically trying to put the finishing touches to the side dishes. Effortlessly, Rachel 'conversed' in ASL while the blonde teenager watched with a half fond, half exasperated smile. It delighted and also surprised her that no one knew the real Rachel Berry. Everyone just saw a sweet yet determined girl with an extensive vocabulary and an extremely fair mind. What they never even guessed at was the fact that Rachel Barbra Berry was perhaps one of the horniest people Quinn had ever met, and while she rarely if ever swore, she got her point across very concisely using other methods. Even Santana who knew Rachel better than anyone, assumed that when it came to anything relationship wise Quinn would be the boss though , she couldn't have been more wrong!

However, as Quinn watched how easily her girlfriend interacted with her mother and genuinely cared for both Judy and herself, she couldn't help but feel incredibly grateful. It was actually very liberating in a way for Quinn to let go of the reins for a while. Her life this past year had been wonderful but ever since the incident with Jesse that landed her in Juvie, she found her temper was on a much shorter leash. Wrestling with it had become a daily task of Herculean proportions, as much as Rachel tried to understand Quinn could sense that it was a side of her that the brunette was actually a little afraid of. That was when she became thankful for her friendship with Santana, if anyone was going to understand how difficult it was to control their anger, it was the hot headed Latina.

Not that she had been open to the idea of confessing _anything _that is, not at first. In fact it hadn't been until Quinn was about to get her second warning for brawling that things came to a head. Before she could punch Amelia in the face for calling Rachel a freak, Santana had pulled her to one side. She was so angry she was unaware of just who it was that was holding her still, eventually though she calmed down and realised that instead of the judgement or pity she expected, the Latina just looked…nonplussed. Once she let her muscles relax, Santana had let her go and quietly just shrugged a shoulder and confided that if Quinn managed to get herself kicked out of school, Rachel would make the rest of the school year hell for everyone.

At the half joking half serious tone, Quinn had sighed and confessed that since she had gotten out of Juvie she had been finding it hard to control her temper. With a wry smile the Latina just nodded understandingly, after an awkward silence the two of them got talking and Santana offered to take Quinn with her to boxing. Although the idea seemed spurious at first, it quickly became a place of salvation for both of them. It was not uncommon for Santana to turn up at Quinn's in the middle of the night with a gym bag, or vice versa. The two had gotten a spare key to the gym they used and in exchange for a few odd jobs round the place, were granted 24-hour access to the place. They had even put on a couple of display matches for charity nights the club had, they always ended up against each other because they were well matched in ability and frame.

Rachel hadn't liked the idea at first, not because of who it was with but because the idea of encouraging any sort of violent behaviour felt wrong to her. After a private talk with Brittany however (one Quinn wished she or Santana had at least been privy to), she had relented and instead made them both promise not to hurt each other too much. Rolling their eyes, the two boxers had agreed and that was that. But it did mean that in the dynamic of their relationship, Quinn got to let go and Rachel got to take the control she found she needed. Shaking her head of her musings, the blonde smiled happily and loped towards the counter where she tried to sneakily snag an asparagus spear from an unattended dish. It wasn't _that _unattended however and she winced as a spoon cracked down lightly on her knuckles. Looking up, she smiled sheepishly at her unimpressed mother.

"Mom I'm hungry! That was a challenging run today…_and _I hurt myself so I need to get my strength back up?"

Seeing that her excuse had had about as much effect as flicking a dried pea at a charging rhino, Quinn changed tactics and turned to her loving and loyal girlfriend…who also remained unimpressed. Relinquishing her hand, the blonde sank into her seat at the table with a pout. Rachel sat next to her and it was then that Quinn noticed there was a fourth place laid out next to her mother. Frowning she caught Rachel's eye and gestured to the setting with her chin before raising an eyebrow, the diva shrugged and they turned to Judy who looked at once shy and giddy. Putting down the last of the covered serving dishes, the elder Fabray fiddled with her hands for a moment before forcing them to still and plastering on a smile before finally speaking.

"Well, we're almost ready, I'm just waiting for our guest then we can start…I hope you're hungry Quinn because I cooked extra chicken for you. And Rachel I did that vegan lasagne you like so I hope that's okay?"

Quinn just looked puzzled, partly by her mother's nervous behaviour and partly because everything about this dinner seemed so formal. Rachel however smiled pleasantly and kicked Quinn's shin under the table so she smiled too.

"That's lovely Judy, though I keep telling you not to cook a whole dish especially for me, I'm quite happy to bring something with me."

Judy rolled her eyes in a way that reminded the tiny diva yet again how like her mother Quinn was.

"Don't be so silly, you're one of the family now Rachel and I will always make sure you feel welcome enough here that you never have to bring your own food with you! Besides which, unlike some people at the table, you don't speak with your mouth full and you recognise the concept of dinner conversation."

Quinn mirrored her mother's eye roll and shrugged exaggeratedly as she grinned despite the criticism.

"Hey it was _one _time! You asked how the film was after all, is it _my _fault we went to watch Saw 3D and that you had cooked Bolognese? And the whole mouth full thing is just…well I sometimes forget that's all."

Rachel and Judy looked at each other and in an unspoken agreement, both reached out and ruffled the girl's carefully styled bed head hair. What followed was two set's of laughter and one annoyed yelp as Quinn tried to avoid her styled hair being messed with. The tussle was short lived however and quickly broken up when a throat cleared itself pointedly from the doorway. Three sets of eyes looked up and lit up with pleasant surprise, well two with surprise while one set softened noticeably. Quinn was the first to speak as she ducked out of the way of hair ruining hands.

"Thank god you turned up when you did…this hair takes like half an hour to style and they're _ruining _it!"

Stephen blew a raspberry of disbelief and looked at it as though it were a dubious piece of art. After a long and very deliberate pause, the older guy snagged Quinn into a gentle choke hold while he finished effectively ruining what was left of the careful style. Sighing exaggeratedly, the blonde just dropped her hands and gave up, when he was finally finished, he let her go and grinned at the other two.

"Now you have that proper bed head thing going on Q."

Rolling amused hazel eyes, Quinn slumped back into her seat and grumbled under her breath about annoying guardians. Rachel squeezed her thigh comfortingly under the table as she sat down next to her and leaned in close enough to whisper.

"I could have told him what your real bed head looks like but I don't want to give him a cardiac arrest."

Smiling quietly to herself, Quinn shook her head before replying.

"Listen up Berry, sex hair is way different to bed hair…besides which I don't term this style as bed head, it's more the kinda…relaxed shaggy look."

As Stephen sat down opposite the girls and next to Judy, he grumbled loud enough for them to hear.

"More like a bloody mess Fabray, they won't let you get away with hair like that in the Air Force kiddo."

Rachel's eyes shot towards Judy and as usual she saw the brief but quickly smothered look of pain and worry. Quinn always missed it but Rachel was very aware of Judy's and if she were honest, her own fear when it came to Quinn's choice of career. Catching Judy's warm green eyes, Rachel smiled reassuringly at her, after a moment the elder Fabray smiled back and tipped her a very slight wink. Oblivious to the silent conversation Quinn and Stephen were bickering over how much the blonde could get away with when it came to hair styles in the forces. Once Judy had taken her seat and the main dish and side dishes had been divided between them, the athlete spoke. Or to be more accurate, she opened her mouth to speak and then quickly closed it and swallowed her mouthful first when Rachel nudged her side sharply.

"You could have said it was only Stephen coming over for dinner mom, you were acting like it was the Queen of England or something!"

She then delved back into her chicken and vegetables missing the very brief look the two adults shared. Rachel never missed the subtle art of body language though, especially around Judy as she had watched her carefully when she first started to learn to sign. Though it didn't take an expert in ASL to interpret the warm look she shared with Stephen before he took and squeezed her hand lightly. The tiny diva found herself biting down on a gasp of surprise when she realised that Judy had moved her wedding ring to her right hand leaving the left one bare…she had a feeling the second part of this dinner was about to go either very well, or very, _very _badly. Judy waited until her daughter had finished what was in front of her but before she reached out to help herself to more corn, Judy cleared her throat.

"Actually Quinn there was something I wanted to tell you. Well, something we both wanted to tell you actually. And Rachel of course as she is practically one of the family now."

Frowning, the athlete rubbed the back of her neck and glanced at Rachel, that was when her worry started to blossom. She admitted that spending a year amongst a bunch of delinquents had made her slightly paranoid…but if Rachel also looked wary then it wasn't all in her mind.

"What is it, you aren't ill or something are you mom?"

Judy smiled and shook her head before giggling slightly nervously.

"No honey I'm not ill, in fact I'm feeling really good these days. And well I wanted to share the main reason with you, as you know Stephen has been spending a lot of time around here lately."

Quinn snorted relaxing slightly again as she drained the last of the soda from her glass.

"That's because he seems convinced that I'm going to go out and cause more trouble. When in fact I'm behaving like a model student."

Stephen sighed and shook his head at the assertion. Judy tucked a strand of hair nervously behind her ear and Quinn's face dropped slightly as she saw how the older guy squeezed her hand. Suddenly her appetite dropped off ,completely; in fact she was feeling a bit nauseous.

"What…mom what's going on?"

Rachel set her cutlery down gently and lay a hand on her girlfriend's thigh trying to ease some of the tension she could feel in the taut muscles. The blonde watched her mother carefully as she began to speak.

"Quinn, the last few years have been quite lonely for me, especially when what happened with you…happened. And I know that you're sorry and it wasn't meant as a dig. But I just want you to know that while I was so _happy _to see you home again and the way you settled in at your new school…I was still feeling a certain loneliness."

She paused and Quinn shifted awkwardly in her seat, partly from residual shame about her time in Juvie, and partly having to consider her mom's sex life. Judy let out a nervous breath and carried on speaking when Quinn didn't say anything.

"One of the things that has come about is that I have grown particularly close to someone recently. And things are developing to the point where I feel it is only right to let you know. Stephen and I are…well we have been dating and recently we started to talk about maybe progressing to something more serious, which is why I wanted to have this dinner."

A silence fell over the room that was deafening in its intensity, Rachel glanced at Judy and Stephen who looked cautious. Quinn looked confused…then, well then she started to stiffen up and her eyes narrow, Rachel winced internally.

"What…is this meant to be some kind of sick joke? Because if it is then it _really _isn't funny!"

Judy sighed and looked at her daughter beseechingly.

"Quinn please try to understand, it's been three years since your father died now and he always said he never wanted me to be lonely. You know Stephen and I'm sure your father would…"

Quinn stood up so abruptly; the chair fell over with a bang loud enough to make Rachel jump even though she could see it coming. Her attention was abruptly returned to her girlfriend when two-fisted hands smacked into the table. Leaning forward angrily, the blonde almost snarled with her words.

"Would what? Approve of you fucking his best friend because guess what mom, I don't think he would. I think he'd be upset enough that you spread your legs for the first man that came along, let alone in finding out it was his best fucking friend!"

Stephen glowered and got to his feet as well, matching the angry teenager's glare and then some.

"I can understand this news might be upsetting to you but don't you dare talk to your mother in such a disrespectful way _**ever **_again!"

Hazel eyes narrowed and Quinn tried desperately to control the rage she could feel growing in her chest like some sort of emotional volcano.

"And you! What the hell kind of man sleeps with his best friend's widow and thinks it's _okay_? You have the balls to lecture me on honour and respect when you do something like that!"

Judy was visibly upset and trying to get herself together enough to speak to her infuriated daughter. Swallowing, Rachel lay a gentle hand on Quinn's arm and tried not to shy back when the athlete swung round abruptly at the touch. She relaxed when she saw it was Rachel and behind the anger, the tiny diva saw the utter anguish Quinn was trying to hide.

"Quinn baby…please calm down okay? Your mom needs your understanding right now, it's understandable you're upset by this but if you just calm down and talk…"

Wrenching herself away from her girlfriend's hand, the blonde felt a whole other level of betrayal and suddenly it was far too hot for her in the house. And far too small, she just needed to get out and she needed to do it alone as obviously Rachel sided with her…whore of a mother. She knew that was harsh but when she looked at her mom she could still see her walking hand in hand with her dad, arguing good- naturedly over whose turn it was to do the dishes…and Stephen was ruining it all. Backing away from two wounded expressions and one angry and disappointed one, the athlete barked a sharp laugh that held no humour.

"I don't fucking believe this…you agree what she's doing is right? Well you know what…fuck you too then Rachel! _You _stay here and play happy fucking families with the home wrecker and the harlot because _I'm _out of here!"

Before anyone could say another thing or make a move, Quinn stormed out via the back door. She closed it so hard the entire frame shook and Judy let her face fall into her hands with a muted sob. Stephen moved to comfort her and looked over at Rachel who suddenly felt very awkward. Part of her wanted to go and help comfort the older woman whom she really did feel sorry for. But the other part was conflicted with a mixture of anger and hurt at her girlfriend's actions, she wanted to head out after her and demand an apology before trying to get her to see some sense. Stephen solved the dilemma for her by looking up from where he had his arm wrapped around Judy.

"Rachel can you please go after her and try and sort things out. Text me when you know where she is or Judy will only worry herself sick. And if she finds some way to get drunk don't let her back here until she's sober."

Rachel frowned slightly at that but nodded and with a brief squeeze of Judy's shoulder in reassurance, she grabbed her jacket and headed out of the house. As far as she knew Quinn had never touched a drop in the entire time she knew her, even at Puck's glee parties she avoided the alcohol and stuck to soft drinks or juice. The brunette's eyes widened as she realised that Quinn in fact had never even _tried _it, (something that even the squarest of high school kids did at least once) she avoided it like someone in AA…well _shit_!

Quinn was so angry she had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do when she got wherever it was! Rubbing her forehead in irritation, the blonde swore and kicked vaguely at the sidewalk as she stalked the streets angrily. How the hell dare her mom do that to her husband, to Quinn's father…it was disrespectful, it was disgusting! She realised vaguely that she was headed towards Santana's house and figured that actually made some kind of sense. Despite the fact that the Latina had told her in no uncertain circumstances that Friday evenings were off limits, Quinn found she didn't care. In fact, she hoped that it would rile the cheerleader up enough to start an argument with someone who'd shout back at her.

She knew she had been out of line to snap at Rachel that way; the little diva had always tried to play the role of peacekeeper no matter what the situation. But the blonde couldn't help it, she was so bloody angry and upset that she just couldn't even think straight and when Rachel had tried to be reasonable she just…flipped. Reaching the grand door of the Latina's house, that was on the very edge of Lima heights, Quinn skipped knocking and went straight to banging on the door with the side of her fist. After a short time the door was yanked open by a pissed off Latina dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. Scowling, Santana went to shut the door but the athlete put her foot out to stop it.

"Don't close the fucking door on me S! Not tonight not after…"

She stopped abruptly, growing even more angry at the hint of a tremor in her tone. After a brief moment when she realised this wasn't for some trivial reason, Santana swore and opened the door wider to allow Quinn to come in. Glancing up, the blonde saw the half naked form of Brittany peering from the back of the sofa and quickly averted her eyes before she saw anything else that S would kill her for mentioning. The Latina sighed and snapping her fingers in front of Quinn's face to get her attention again spoke harshly.

"Have you and my captain have an argument, because if you upset her Fabray…"

She let the threat trail off, expecting Quinn to sputter that of course it was not that but when she instead just lowered her gaze and thrust her hands into her pockets, Santana's eyes narrowed and she turned to Brittany.

"Brit, Brit will you go and find Rach for me please? Let her know Q is here with me okay and then make sure she gets home and doesn't worry. I'll take care of whatever the fuck this is."

Nodding, Brittany dressed quickly while Quinn stared at the ground steadfastly. She looked at the athlete with a trace of disappointment and then kissed Santana softly before heading out the front door. As soon as the door clicked closed, the Latina grabbed Quinn by the front of her shirt and hauled her into the lounge. Before the blonde could react to being manhandled, she found herself shoved into an armchair with a very pissed off cheerio in front of her. Planting her hands on her hips Santana glared so hard that Quinn forgot that the Latina was wearing an entirely too short silk gown.

"What the hell did you _do _Fabray! Rachel is one of the most forgiving and understanding people I know. If you pissed her off to the extent that you disturbed me on a Friday night instead of begging for forgiveness, then you _really _must have fucked up."

Wanting to argue her case, Quinn instead found that she was unable to talk at all. She looked away and swallowed the lump in her throat before trying again but all that came out was a strangled croak before she clenched her fist angrily. She wouldn't cry damn it, there was no way she was crying over this, it was dumb and…okay so she _wanted _to cry but it didn't mean she was _going _to. In an effort to stop herself from bursting into tears, she dredged up the righteous anger that had fuelled her earlier and slammed her fist into the wall beside her. There was a tan blur and Quinn found her fist caught in one of the Latina's strong hands while the other gripped her jaw and forced her to lock eyes with curious and slightly worried brown ones.

"Talk to me Q, you know you gotta unload this right?"

Finding it hard to talk with the grip on her jaw, Quinn just looked off to the side and swallowed again. After a moment she felt the hand relax on her jaw and Santana sat on the small coffee table to face the athlete.

"Come on, I know we don't do this talking shit but this time…there's something else going on that a few rounds in the ring wont solve. So come on and spill it Fabray, before I assume you broke my leprechaun's heart and I break your kneecaps."

The very real threat sounded odd when spoken by a tiny (God, not that Quinn would ever say _that _word out loud to Santana) girl dressed in a silk robe. Knowing however that it was more of a promise than a threat, the blonde blew out a breath and recounted the evening in detail. She wanted to leave out what she had actually called her mother and Stephen, even the way she had pulled away from Rachel. But Santana was very good at pulling every last detail from her and the athlete wondered if she had ever considered a career in the CIA. When she was done, Santana blew out a breath and then looking her straight in the eye, slapped her. _Hard_. Once the room stopped spinning, Quinn touched a finger to her split lip and muttered in a slightly stunned manner.

"Okay…_what _was that for?"

Crossing her arms and legs Santana shrugged.

"Take your pick, you know _damn _well you earned that and more with the way you acted. But as I can't speak for either your mother or your guardian let's say _that _one was for hurting Rachel the way you did. We both know as commanding as she can be, she would never slap you _even _when you need it."

Working her jaw to double check it was undamaged (hey, Santana can hit really hard and Quinn was all too aware of that from their sparring sessions), she sighed and looked away again.

"I was thinking you should work in the CIA but now I'm revising that opinion and think that perhaps you'd make a good dominatrix."

She was only half joking with that suggestion but as the Latina raised a cool eyebrow, she swallowed down a sudden fear and when Santana surged forward abruptly she barely kept in a yelp of surprise.

"Not a bad suggestion Fabray, maybe I'll mention it to Rach. Because _you _Quinn Fabray have acted like nothing but a spoiled brat tonight and you damn well _know _it! If it were up to me, when I was done with you, you wouldn't be able to sit for a week. Maybe then you would grow up and realise your mother and Stephen have been there for you since your dad died and if he could see you now he would be nothing but ashamed."

Quinn wanted to look away but when she tried the hand was back on her chin and she was forced to face the angry brown eyes in front of hers. She knew there was no justification for her behaviour other than shock and…god did she _have _to talk about this? Looking into her best friend's unyielding eyes, she knew that yes, she did.

"I…know I just freaked out. I wasn't expecting it, or okay maybe I was. If I'm honest, a part of me has known for a while but it just felt like if it was real then… he was really gone. I mean I _know _he is but…it would be final. With him always being away for months at a time, I could fool myself that he wasn't dead, just on a really long posting. But now it's gone, the last stupid string of hope I had just burned and sent me tumbling to the ground and I _can't_…I just…"

Despite her resolve, she ended her sentence in a choked sob and Santana slipped off of the table to sit next to the distraught blonde. Quinn just cried herself out into the sheer fabric of the Latina's robe as she accepted her father's death finally and completely. It was stupid because she had been to his funeral but…she had always held that childish hope that one day he'd turn up with his dazzling smile and declare it had been just a mistake. Then he'd pick her mom up and twirl her round as she giggled then he'd kiss her while Quinn pulled a face and pretended it grossed her out when in fact it made her heart glow. But now she had to accept the fact that would never happen. Russell Fabray _was _dead and when her mom had finally looked as though she might be able to smile that way again…Quinn had acted the way she had. She was mad at herself and half wished someone _would _punish her for lashing out and hurting the people closest to her. When she finally felt cried out enough to talk she sat up exhaustedly and wiped her nose on her sleeve. Santana pulled a face.

"Gross Fabray, at least use tissues."

Accepting the box of tissues, Quinn cleaned herself up and sat back in the cushions. She felt awkward now; she and Santana had never had the sort of relationship where they could talk to each other about sensitive stuff. She had always had Rachel for that, until tonight when she pushed her away. Santana's phone beeped and she looked briefly down at it before tucking it away with a small nod.

"Brittany took Rachel home and sat with her while she cried. She's asleep now."

Quinn winced and looked away before catching Santana's eyes.

"Don't sugar coat it for me will you Lopez?"

Snorting, the Latina inspected her nails idly before looking back up and with serious intensity ground out.

"You're lucky I love you Fabray, and if you _ever _repeat that you'll be picking your teeth out of your shit for the next year at least."

Swallowing slightly, Quinn just nodded. She had no doubt that if she were anyone else she would already be in the E.R again.

"I know and I appreciate the lack of bodily harm. I just…I don't know how to fix this. I mean Rachel will forgive me like you said but I need to earn it. I know she was trying to reach out to me tonight and I just shut her down cold. I promised I'd never do that and I did…Jesus I almost wish I _was _still young enough to go over someone's knee."

Santana just smirked, but it didn't look exactly amused. In fact, it made Quinn highly uncomfortable and she felt the need to explain herself.

"I just mean…that I feel like I messed up bad and…you know what? Never mind. And stop smirking at me like that it's kinda…creepy."

At that, Santana laughed outright and punched Quinn's shoulder lightly before pulling her up and led the way to the kitchen. Reaching into the fridge, she pulled out two beers and proffered one. Normally the blonde refused all alcohol but this time she hesitated and had to reach up and rub her jaw before finally shaking her head reluctantly.

"No…a soda's fine, I'm not in the mood to drink."

Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, Santana closed the fridge door with her hip and after taking a sip of her beer, watched Quinn chug half of her soda with a thirst that stemmed from more than dehydration.

"So, how long have you been on the wagon?"

Santana watched as hazel eyes widened in disbelief before a sigh escaped Quinn's tightly closed lips. Running a hand through her hair, she leant on the counter behind her and half smiled without any real humour.

"How did you know?"

Shrugging, the Latina set her beer down and just tilted her head slightly to one side.

"My papi has problems with drink. Not so much now because he attends regular meetings but I kinda guessed by the way you never touch the stuff. That and the fact you just chugged that root beer like you wished it was a real one."

Toying with the lip of the can, the blonde rubbed the back of her neck and muttered her reply softly.

"After things with Gabby…I was under house arrest waiting for the trial and I just kept thinking about what he had done and what _I _had done. So I just…it made me stop thinking about it altogether. At first it was easily hidden but when I was sentenced, things got real pretty fast. They could get hold of anything in there…for a price and for a while I willingly paid what I had to, to get a drink. I hated myself and a part of me wanted to drink until I didn't wake up. But then one of the girls in there, she sort of helped me straighten myself out…I haven't touched a drop since."

After a long moment of silence between the two of them, Santana walked towards her and Quinn almost closed her eyes, half expecting another slap. Instead she found herself wrapped in a genuine and not at all awkward hug. After a moment she returned it and when they broke the embrace there was a new level of comfort and understanding between the two hot-headed girls.

"Once you finish that you need to go and make things up with Berry. She'll only worry herself sick if you don't. Then you're going to tell your mom what an ass you were and everything that you told me tonight…okay?"

Rolling her eyes slightly Quinn nevertheless smiled and nodded her acquiescence.

"Yeah, of course."

They both drained their drinks and then Quinn remembered something else she wanted to ask the cheerleader. Strictly speaking, she should ask Rachel but she didn't want to distress the little diva any more. But that afternoon at the race, she could have _sworn _she'd seen St James and if anyone was in touch with the gossip around Lima it would be Santana.

"S…have you heard anything about Jesse being back in town?"

Santana frowned and looked at Quinn curiously as she drained the last of her beer.

"No, not a word but that's hardly surprising, I mean Rachel stopped ringing him or taking his calls after she found out about your best friend. I think he must have gotten the message that he's not exactly wanted around here…why do you ask?"

Rubbing the back of her neck Quinn felt a throbbing start up again in her knee as her mind returned to the moment she thought she had seen that arrogant smirk

"It's just at the race this afternoon…right before I fell, in fact it was the _reason _I fell, I thought I saw him. He was standing on the bluff and it threw me off enough that I fucked up the steep drop…hence my Frankenstein knee."

The Latina looked thoughtful as she tried to recall if she had heard anything on the grape vine about the young actor's return to his hometown but she couldn't recall anything.

"I can't think of anything, but I can put out a few feelers…if you're that convinced that you saw him."

Reaching up to rub her jaw, Quinn winced when she touched the tender skin that Santana had slapped. As the Latina smirked, the blonde dropped her hand and then nodded.

"I would like to know yeah but…can you do it without telling Rachel? And before you get all defensive and angry at me, let me explain."

Crossing her arms, Santana raised an eyebrow and tilted her head for Quinn to continue.

"If it's nothing I don't want to upset her, she already feels bad that she never thought that his actions would hurt someone like they did. If he's still sunning himself in L.A then there's nothing to worry about is there? And if he is then at least we can both tell her and it will be less of a shock."

Letting out a breath Santana threw her hands up.

"Fine but if it backfires then you take all the blame Fabray."

Grinning slightly, Quinn punched Santana's shoulder lightly this time and deliberately softened her voice.

"Thanks for like…listening to me and slapping some sense into me, though maybe not the _literal _slapping part. That really hurt in fact, but ya know, thanks for the rest."

Acknowledging the thanks with a slight inclination of her head, Santana leant on the doorframe as she watched Quinn head out into the unseasonably warm evening.

"Yeah well don't mention it…_seriously, _unless you want to revisit that whole picking teeth out of your excrement thing then _never _mention it again."

Nodding in understanding, the athlete held a hand up and headed down the street towards Rachel's house. She only got a few steps before Santana called after her.

"Oh and Fabray…you hurt my captain again and that punishment thing _won't _just be theoretical. I'll talk to Rachel and get her to agree. Understood?"

Swallowing the very real lump of cold panic, Quinn nodded her understanding and shivered at the smirk on Santana's face as she closed the door. Somehow it didn't sound like an idle threat, and while some people thought the idea of punishment was a turn on Quinn was not one of them. And something told her that at Santana's hand, it would be anything _but _enjoyable. Sighing, she sent a quick text to her mom to say she was okay and would be home soon; she received a curt acknowledgement and winced as she slipped the I Phone back in her hip pocket. _That _was going to be a very difficult and awkward conversation. It was past midnight when she got to Rachel's house and the windows were all dark except the diva's.

There was a little glow from the window, which meant the bedside lamp was still on. Knocking on the door at this time of night was out of the question and for a moment she wondered why she had listened to Santana's suggestion. Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair and eyed the tree opposite Rachel's bedroom window. It wasn't exactly in line with it but if she was careful she could reach over and climb onto it safely. She was here now and the thought of going to sleep with the brunette still thinking that she hated her was unacceptable. Swearing under her breath, she boosted herself into the tree and started to climb. Once at the right level, she started shimmying out on the branch that pointed towards Rachel's window.

When she was in reaching distance, she made the tiny half leap and grinned in triumph as she latched on safely. Fate seemed to be on her side when she realised the window was already open an inch; reaching down she pulled it up gently and then moved inside. The careful entrance she had planned went awry as she belatedly realised that the elliptical had been moved to in front of the window. With a strangled yelp, she fell the last couple of inches and was then blinded by the sudden light of the room's main bulb coming on. Just when she could blink away the dazzle, she felt fire explode in her eyes, or at least that was what she swore it was. As she screamed at the pain, she heard Rachel's much talked about rape whistle being blown and all hell broke loose.

Twenty minutes later saw Quinn sat in the kitchen on a straight- backed chair while Leroy cleaned the mace out of her eyes and tried not to laugh. Rachel was apologising profusely as she paced back and forth, interspersed of course with the odd 'What on earth did you think you were doing!' or the ever popular 'You could have knocked on the door!'. Hiram had made a pot of cocoa for them all and when the blonde's eyes had finally been cleared of the last of the pepper spray; she was confronted by two amused men and one slightly worried girlfriend. Leroy cleared his throat as he picked up his mug.

"Well, I suggest you two talk about whatever it was that made you attempt a Romeo, Quinn and then either sleep here or get home before your mother panics. Are we clear?"

The athlete blinked bloodshot eyes and nodded with a subdued 'yes sir', both Rachel's fathers managed to make it upstairs before laughing into each other shoulders.

Downstairs Quinn found herself suddenly shy as she was alone with her girlfriend.

"Rach I…I was an ass tonight, to you and my mom."

The little diva sighed slightly and taking Quinn's hand led her to the sofa, they settled down and Rachel finally spoke. It broke the athlete's heart how lost and hurt the brunette sounded when she talked.

"I understand you were shocked Quinn but what you called your mother was…it was horrible and ugly and she didn't deserve that. Stephen has always been there for you as well and what you accused him of…how could you do that?"

Swallowing, the blonde ran a hand through her hair and wondered how, or even if she could explain her actions. It occurred to her that while she and Rachel had known each other a fairly long time now, it was the first time the little diva had witnessed the nasty side of the athlete's personality. It was a side of her that Quinn herself hated but sometimes, mostly when she was angry, she couldn't stop herself from saying everything that occurred to her. She turned so she was facing Rachel and took one of her small tanned hands into both her calloused ones, rubbing it gently as she began to talk stiltedly.

"I…okay, this is hard…I spoke to Santana and she slapped me for being a douche. _Don't _yell at her because she was right, I was a douche and I hate that I hurt you by doing what I did. You are the most amazingly understanding person I have ever met and I sometimes worry I won't ever be good enough for you. And then I do something like I did tonight, you were trying to comfort me, get me to see sense when I was refusing to…and I pushed you away. I'm sorry for that, more sorry than you will ever know in fact. I can only apologise and hope you give me the chance to explain. I can promise you I will also be apologising to my mom and Stephen tomorrow."

After a long moment of peering into the hazel eyes in front of her, Rachel realised that she could see no trace of the angry and hurting girl that had been in there hours before. Relaxing, she smiled softly and leaning forward pressed a very gentle kiss to the small split on the swollen lip that Santana had caused.

"Of course I forgive you…even if you are a gigantic idiot, just don't ever push me away again Quinn! I'm never going to stay away from you no matter how hard you push…so just let me in and we can cut down on a lot of stress okay?"

Smiling slightly, Quinn nodded and pulled Rachel into a gentle but loving embrace. From her muffled shoulder, Rachel couldn't help but remark.

"Also I don't particularly like making you hurt baby, nor do I like giving my fathers a heart attack with the rape alarm…but you really do know how to make an entrance don't you Froot Loop."

Smiling fondly, Quinn kissed the top of the diva's head and nudged her lightly with a shoulder.

"Yeah well, I figured I had to make a grand gesture…though the mace and your fathers weren't exactly meant to be part of that grand gesture."

Against her will, she found herself giggling slightly at how it must have looked, after a half-hearted slap at her side, Rachel giggled again and soon they couldn't stop. The laughter was a good dissipation of the stress they had both felt and by the time the laughter stopped they were both tired. Stifling a yawn, Rachel struggled to her feet.

"Come on Fabray, take me to bed and let's try and get some _actual _sleep before the sun rises hmm?"

Quinn struggled upright and firing off a quick text to let her mother know she was staying over at Rachel's that night (with her fathers' permission of course) then she allowed herself to be dragged upstairs. She had a pair of sleep shorts and an old T-shirt left over from one of her previous sleepovers which she changed into and soon enough they were snuggled up under the duvet. As she closed her eyes, Quinn felt another pang in her chest as she realised she could have lost this tonight. All because she couldn't keep her temper in check, she could have lost the most important thing in her life. She never thought she would feel as protected and safe and loved as she had when she had been a little girl in her father's arms but now,…now she had more than that. She had Rachel and even if she had to saw off an arm to keep her she would do so. Though even at the _thought _she grinned, imagining Rachel reprimanding her for not being prepared for such an eventuality as possibly needing to saw off a limb. She really shouldn't have made Rachel watch the Saw films with her. Rather than either enjoy them or be grossed out or even frightened by them, the little brunette had insisted on pointing out all the inaccuracies. It had made Quinn laugh so hard that she almost wet herself, though people looked at her oddly whenever the films were mentioned in conversation and she started giggling. But thanks to a sobering conversation with her odd but amazing best friend and the forgiving nature of her girlfriend, she had another chance. Pulling the diva closer to her, she pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and smiled as Rachel giggled tiredly.

"That tickles, go sleep okay…tomorrow we make things right with your mom. Then _maybe _I will let you take me to the movies to watch the new version of the Thing."

Burying her nose in the crook of her little spoon's neck, Quinn rumbled a slight laugh before yawning.

"Well, I shall make sure that I pencil that in."

A small hand reached back to slap her ass lightly and Rachel managed to mutter sleepily.

"Damn straight you will Fabray, now _go _to sleep."

Smiling tiredly, Quinn pressed another gentle kiss to Rachel's collarbone and muttered a sleepy 'yes ma'am' before starting to snore softly. In front of her, Rachel smiled happily and closed her own eyes, quickly following Quinn to sleep.

The next morning, Quinn woke first and for a moment couldn't remember why she was in Rachel's bed instead of her own. Then with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she remembered what had happened with her mom and Stephen. Thinking that Rachel was still asleep, the blonde reached up under her T-shirt and clasped the dented dog tags tightly as she closed her eyes and muttered.

"I'm _so _sorry dad…I know you would have wanted mom to be happy I just…it hurt, I'm so sorry, I'll make it up to both of them, somehow."

She was mildly surprised but infinitely comforted when one of the little diva's smaller and delicate hands brushed gently across her stomach to wrap around the one that was clutching the squares of damaged steel.

"He knows you love him baby, he knows you didn't mean it. Now all you have to do is make sure your _mom _knows you didn't."

Opening her eyes, Quinn turned to face her girlfriend, Rachel's warm brown eyes were peering into hers with love and trust. So much of it in fact that the athlete felt dizzied by it and she closed her eyes again.

"I don't get how you do it, how you always manage to see the best in me."

Smiling softly, Rachel reached out with her other hand and caressed Quinn's face softly until she opened her eyes again.

"Because you refuse to see it for yourself, you made a mistake because you were hurting…I hate to break it to you but that means you're just an ordinary human."

Pouting slightly, Quinn allowed some humour to lighten her mood and let out an exaggerated sigh.

"You mean I'm not a prime physical specimen with the brain power of six Einstein's and the physicality of Aphrodite?"

To her credit, Rachel tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably and gave in to the giggles. While she convulsed with humour, Quinn deliberately deepened her pout and crossed her arms in feigned annoyance.

"You know…I could begin to take this personally! Especially after you _maced _me in the face last night."

Rachel slapped at her girlfriend's abs lightly and half glared as she attempted to wipe the tears of mirth from her eyes.

"Well _really_, you have never snuck into my bedroom before so what was I _supposed _to think when a stranger attempted to gain entry to my house via the window."

Rubbing the back of her neck and trying not to blush at her aborted attempt at off the cuff romance, the blonde shrugged.

"Yeah well…I know to text next time I guess. Also, I mean I don't particularly _object _if you felt like making it up to me?"

Propping herself up on one elbow, the tiny diva raised a dark eyebrow and regarded the blonde athlete stretched out beside her.

"Oh you wouldn't huh?"

Deliberately stretching out so her T-shirt rode up to reveal her abs, Quinn shook her head and arched with a yawn. Inwardly, she grinned in triumph when she saw the look of hunger in the brunette's eyes that she quickly tried to smother. Pushing the hem of the worn material a little further up her chest to ostensibly scratch at her midriff, she couldn't miss the way brown eyes flickered upwards to take in the barely there swell of one breast. Rachel looked into those playful hazel eyes and smirked; if Quinn wanted to play…then they would play! Moving so she was looming over Quinn, she bent down and placed an almost there kiss against the already pursed lips of the athlete. When the blonde tried to deepen it however, Rachel pulled back teasingly and moved her lips to a strong jaw line. No matter how Quinn moved, she could _not _get her girlfriend to increase the force of the kisses. Soon, she was whimpering with a combination of her growing arousal and frustration, it didn't help that Rachel knew her body all too well. Eventually pulling back enough to peer into frustrated hazel eyes almost obscured by the expanded pupils, the diva smirked.

"Not enjoying yourself baby?"

After a moments deep thought, Quinn managed to remember how to talk and growled out between gritted teeth.

"I swear to God Rachel Berry if you don't kiss me properly…!"

She never got to finish the sentence as two hands fisted in her already rumpled T-shirt and yanked her upwards by the material. Rachel crashed her lips powerfully into the blonde's, it left Quinn feeling as though she were being devoured…and she loved it! Her hands gripped the diva's hips and attempted to pull her closer, Rachel gasped as she felt Quinn's blunt nails dig into the skin just above the waistband of her sleep shorts. She needed no further encouragement and her own hands went up and under the top that covered the blonde's back. Rachel loved marking Quinn as hers; she had no idea if it was a residual effect of her HBIC personality or because she wanted to make damn sure that no one mistook the athlete as available. But whatever it was, every time they got like this Quinn wore the marks for days afterwards.

She knew it was going to be one of those times when Rachel took her lower lip between her teeth and bit hard enough to draw blood. Rather than flinch at the small pain, Quinn groaned and arched into the diva whose nails dug into the athlete's shoulder blades and gripped. What she _didn't _expect however, was for Rachel to then abruptly let her go and move off of the bed. Panting slightly and glad the appearance of her co pilot wouldn't be for a few days, Quinn managed to drag enough stray thoughts together to construct a sentence.

"Rae…what, I mean…where are you going!"

The brunette just smirked and slipped her dressing gown on before fastening it and shrugging. Leaning down to where Quinn was just a bundle of trembling nerves on the bed, she reached out and slowly but deliberately dragged the nail of her forefinger gently down the seam of the athlete's sleep shorts. Her smirk widened as she saw the shudder that rippled through her girlfriend's body.

"Oh, well I need to go and get a shower…and you don't get any more of this until you make an extremely heartfelt and genuine apology to your mother and guardian."

Letting her head fall back onto the pillow with a deep frustrated groan, Quinn double face-palmed and ground out from between gritted teeth.

"This is one of those actions have consequences things isn't it?"

Chuckling lightly (or devilishly if you happened to consult Quinn), Rachel nodded and nipped lightly at the blonde's defined abs before straightening up again with a cheerful smile.

"Yep, it sure is! Now get your ass home and so long as you behave yourself properly, I'll come pick you up later."

Letting her arms drop limply from her face, Quinn sighed and levered herself up to a sitting position.

"Why do _you _always pick _me _up, I could come get you instead."

Turning back around, Rachel's face was stern as she propped her fisted hands on her hips pointedly.

"We have been through this before Quinn Fabray! I will not be going anywhere with you on that death trap. When you get a car I'll think about it, but not on the bike!"

Sighing, the blonde started picking up her clothes from off the floor so she could get dressed.

"You should give it a try before you judge Rach and I have been driving it for ages and haven't had even one accident."

Picking up and passing Quinn her shirt, Rachel smiled softly and shrugged.

"Yes and I would like for it to remain that way. It worries me when you ride that thing, it scares your mom too."

Trying her best not to roll her eyes at that, the blonde lay on the floor and scrambled under the bed to drag her left boot out.

"Yeah well…she's my mom she's sort of _always _worried about me. It's in the contract I think, she's still freaking about me joining the Air Force. She loves you for talking me into college though."

Reaching behind the door to find Quinn's right sock and boot, Rachel passed them over with a smirk.

"Well I had powers of persuasion your mother most definitely did not have! Besides which you know as well as me that you made the best decision for you. Plus I'm sure that three years of partying and building and messing with engines won't exactly be a hardship for you."

Finally dressed, Quinn snagged Rachel as she passed and wrapped her up in a big hug nuzzling slightly into the crook of her neck.

"Actually it was the fact that we will have three years of parent free time in New York that really swayed me."

Snorting slightly, the diva turned around so she was facing Quinn and kissed her again. Properly this time, no teasing, just a gentle but firm affirmation of their love and commitment to each other.

"Good now go make amends, build bridges and whatever _else _it is you need to do. Then tonight we'll go see a movie and have some of that adult free time you've been craving."

Smiling happily, Quinn nodded and made her way downstairs, luckily Hiram and Leroy had already left so she didn't have to face the embarrassment of another apology about last night. Blowing out a breath, she snagged a bottle of water from the fridge and then started the walk home. She was both dreading and in a way looking forward to the talk she had to have with her mom. She dreaded it because it was never easy to face someone you had hurt, not when you loved them deeply and once again she felt that odd twist in her stomach when she remembered her mom's expression. But…when they finally had this talk she just hoped they could both move on. She accepted now that there was no way (outside of an episode of Sunset Beach) that her father was coming home.

Her family had changed and she had to accept that, she actually _did _accept that in fact. She still had her mom, an amazing woman she couldn't even think about not having in her life. And of course Stephen, she did have to admit she still felt a little betrayed, but the fact was she probably _had _known that he was becoming closer to her mom. Known but chosen to ignore just because it was easier, although in the end she had still ended up lashing out and hurting all three members of her new family. Swallowing the last of the now warm water in the bottle, she dumped it in the recycling and walked in through the kitchen door. Her mom looked up, eyes still red-rimmed from crying and Quinn felt her own tears welling as well. Biting her lip, she managed to squeak out an apology.

"I'm so, _so _sorry mom. I didn't mean _any _of that stuff, I was being an ass."

She started to walk forward at the same time as her mom got up from the chair and they met in the middle. Crushing her daughter in a hug, Judy felt the girl's tears soaking the collar of her dress where she was holding her. Smiling slightly, she fought her own tears down and rubbed soothing circles on Quinn's back, trying to help ease the crying that she could feel as the shoulders under her hands shook with the sobbing. Looking up, she saw Stephen leaning in the doorway and as much as she wanted to keep this moment between her and her daughter, Stephen was also owed an apology. Once Quinn's tears trailed off, she pulled away gently and reaching out, wiped her face with a tissue she produced from her pockets. The blonde smiled at the very familiar and childlike gesture as she allowed her mom to clean her face for her. When she was done, Judy leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.

"I realise we could have approached telling you a different way, but what you said Quinn. It hurt and it was unnecessary. However, I want us to move on from this, I love you baby and I always will and I still love your father. I just…it's not fun to be alone sweetheart and Stephen is a good man. He has helped us a lot and you owe him an apology as well."

She peered into her daughter's hazel eyes worriedly and wondered what reaction that would get. Quinn blew out a small breath of air however and looked back into her mother's eyes with a small nod of agreement.

"I know, I lost my temper last night when I had no right to. Both you and he have done everything you could for me. And when I…when the attack happened you didn't make me break the trust I had even though you knew it would hurt my case. You accepted that I had to do what I had to do and you both backed me up. And if not for Stephen, I wouldn't have gotten early release or had much of a home to return to. I know he helped with the bills while I was in Juvie mom, until the government finally paid out dad's insurance."

Taking a deep breath, she turned and faced Stephen, she was aware he had been standing there for quite some time. She fiddled with her hands and almost shoved them in her back pockets but finally let them hang loose by her sides. It was hard to meet his eyes but one thing her father had taught her was that respect was all in the eye contact, and the least she owed this man was her respect.

"I…you didn't deserve my attitude last night, no one deserved that and I'm sorry. What's worse is I know that dad wouldn't be angry at either you or mom but at me. My reaction and the way I spoke to you both last night was shameful. Mom is lucky to have you…we both are."

She trailed off and tried not to flinch under his scrutinising gaze. Sighing, he brushed a hand through his grey buzz cut and walked forward. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he half smiled and gestured to her split lip as Judy came to stand by his side.

"Who belted you one? Rachel?"

Flushing slightly, Quinn shook her head and then when it was clear that both he and her mom wanted an answer, sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Um…no, Santana told me I was being a douche and then slapped me because she said I deserved it and Rachel was too nice to do it."

Judy smiled slightly and shook her head fondly; it was just like Santana. And although she didn't appreciate _anyone _smacking Quinn about she could see the point the Latina had tried to make. Stephen just laughed softly however and then gestured to her eyes.

"I see…and the pepper spray burns?"

At that, the athlete flushed a bright red and tried to avoid both their inquisitive gazes. To no avail however and they all moved to the kitchen table and the fresh juice and coffee that Judy had already laid out. Armed with fresh orange, Quinn reluctantly told them about her failed attempt to romance Rachel for forgiveness. After the laughter had finally died down, they relaxed and began to talk, really talk about what the recent developments would mean for their family. It was an exhausting talk and there were tears, when Quinn admitted the childlike dream she had of her dad's coming home, and laughter. But at the end of it, they had all reached a point where the bitterness of last night had passed. They were three broken individuals finally forming a family unit again, it wasn't going to be all hearts and flowers, not at first but they would get there. Finally with a wide yawn, Quinn excused herself and decided to head upstairs to shower and catch a quick nap before getting ready for her date night with Rachel. Remembering their last date night ensured she fell asleep with a huge smirk on her face.

Rachel was just getting out of the shower as well, fresh from a very successful dance class. Humming happily to herself, she went through her wardrobe while she carefully selected an outfit for that night. A grin spread across her face as she discarded several items that were far too racy for a movie visit. Eventually, she settled on a pair of black jeans that were so tight fitting they looked painted on. She'd just have to make sure she always walked in front of Quinn and knew the girl would follow her anywhere. After some deliberation, she dragged out one of her girlfriend's faded T-shirts from the back of the closet. It was one of Quinn's father's old Squadron T-shirts and it was perhaps the most wonderful gift the blonde had given her. Plus she knew Quinn really liked seeing her in it. She was just finishing up applying a few traces of make up when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in daddy, I'm just putting my makeup on."

Her smile quickly vanished when it wasn't her father that opened the door and strolled in, but Jesse St James. Her jaw hardened and she stood immediately, setting her mascara to one side and placing her hands on her hips.

"Jesse what are you doing here! I thought I made myself clear."

Instead of looking shamed or contrite, the arrogant actor just folded his arms and leant back on the wall.

"Nice to see you too Rachel, I was hoping we could actually talk about this, you were always very fair minded before so what's different now?"

Snorting, she mirrored his pose, only where his was relaxed and confident, hers was angry and confrontational.

"What's different now is that you have absolutely _no _shame do you? You don't even care what you did to that poor girl!"

He did narrow his eyes at that and pushing off the wall, took a few steps closer to his former best friend.

"You used to trust me Rachel, we used to be friends, and now before you even _get _my side of the story you decide to believe some slut and that Neanderthal Fabray over me!"

Rolling her eyes, Rachel threw up her hands angrily before placing them on the edge of the counter behind her.

"Now you listen to _me _Jesse St James, I know for a fact how you treat all of your conquests so yes I find it _very _believable that you would do such a thing. If you honestly think you had any justification to do what you did then by all means. Feel free to enlighten me!"

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Jesse took a seat on the edge of the diva's bed and after a moment shrugged and mustered up his most convincing smile.

"Look I didn't do anything she didn't _want _me to Rachel. She liked me and I liked her and we did what two people who like each other do…well except for you and your 25 rule anyway."

Ignoring the blush she could feel rising on her cheeks, Rachel retorted.

"Be that as it may you should have taken precautions to prevent any unwanted pregnancies! You had a responsibility to her _and _yourself."

Jesse scoffed.

"No I didn't, what I had was a responsibility to myself and I did that. I get regular checkups Rachel, she was the one who was risking pregnancy so she should have ensured she was protected. It certainly wasn't my job to make sure she didn't knock herself up."

Rachel's jaw actually dropped in shock when she realised that he wasn't joking but was in fact deadly serious. She sputtered a few times as she tried to think about how to word her next sentence while retaining her PG rated vocabulary…but couldn't.

"You amazing insufferable ass! It takes _two _people to get pregnant Jesse and you were one of those two. Failing that, you were responsible for helping her sort herself out once she was. But not only did you _not _do that you refused all knowledge and called her a slut!"

Again, Jesse rolled his eyes and allowed himself to slump back into the diva's soft mattress.

"Rachel please, _think _about it! You have as much ambition as I do and we both know what would happen if our names were ever tied to some sort of scandal like that. It's the sort of thing that can return decades later and ruin careers. There was no way I was going to let _that _happen so I told her to get rid of it, and I told everyone else that I never touched her like that. I won't let _her _mistake drag me down with her. But I came back to see my folks and figured that if I explained it to you in a way that you would understand we could move past this stupid little argument."

There were very few times in her life that Rachel Berry found herself truly speechless but this was one of them. She couldn't order her thoughts enough to decide what was the most insulting thing about this idiot's speech. The fact he thought she would understand, the fact he was convinced it truly had nothing to do with him or the fact he had the gall to sit there and act like it was just a 'silly argument'. Balling her hands into fists, she started calmly enough.

"I want you to stand up and get out of my house Jesse and I want you to do it as fast as you can! I never want to see your fatuous features again after today, and quite frankly even today was one day too many! That _girl _had a name it was Gabrielle, she was all but destroyed by you and your callous disregard for anything but your own pleasure. Quite frankly, you were lucky Quinn didn't hit you so hard it sterilised you and if you don't get out of my house right this very second I will do so _myself_!"

His casual grin turned into a vicious sneer and he surged upwards to his feet with a growl. Taking two steps forward, he was towering over the little diva angrily.

"Quinn? You call that bitch by her first fucking name? Just how close _are _you to that thug disguised as a girl? Hmm? Maybe it's her I should be having this discussion with because believe me Rachel Berry…if I was unwilling to let that stupid little slut ruin my reputation then what do you think I am willing to do to the whore that beat me up…_especially _if she's still spreading those lies about me!"

Suddenly, Rachel's anger turned to worry but not for her. Instead her thoughts went across town to her girlfriend, and to the shell of a girl still residing in Twin Peaks rest home. Swallowing hard, she flipped her hair back and tried to hold onto her anger.

"Don't you even _think _about hurting Quinn or Gabrielle, you have done more than enough and if you so much as go near them, I will have my daddy arrest you for something spurious until we can prove something greater!"

Jesse's eye twitched ever so slightly at that, Leroy Berry had always intimidated him through his sheer size alone, but the thought of _Detective _Leroy Berry coming after him was something else altogether. Rachel smiled slightly and crossed her arms as she saw the twitch but it faltered when he just smiled back coldly.

"I would like to see you try, besides which there won't be anyone about to spread rumours soon enough. And when you're holding that bitch Fabray's hand as she cries…just remember that she won't be sad for long because it will be her next!"

For a moment, Rachel thought he was actually going to hit her but he just smirked, turned on his heel and marched out the door. She didn't move until she heard the slam of the front door, at that point she rushed to her window and saw him pull away in his BMW. Swallowing her own nerves, she picked up her cell phone with a shaking hand and rang Quinn. Swearing when it went straight to voice mail, she then left an urgent message for the blonde to call her back before dialling Santana. It took a moment but eventually the phone was answered very gruffly.

"Berry this better be fucking important because between you and your wife in training I'm losing some serious sexy times!"

Rachel's next words however secured the Latina cheerleader's attention effortlessly.

"Jesse St James was just here…we need to get to Quinn, fast!"

Quinn was woken from a pleasant dream by her phone blaring at her, fumbling for it with one hand, she felt a familiar pain in her groin and groaned. The damn thing had only arrived early a handful of times but it looked like today, or to be more accurate tonight was one of them. Clutching one hand over her groin with a wince, she used the other to silence the phone which was blaring Glen Miller at her. Holding it up she could vaguely make out the words on the screen. What she saw made her sit up abruptly and slide the bar across with a fumbling thumb.

"Hello?"

There was a pause and in the background she could make out the familiar bustling sound of a busy evening at Twin Peaks.

"Hi, Miss Quinn Fabray? This is Dr Winfield…we have your number as an emergency contact for Gabrielle Armaro if we can't get hold of her parents?"

Running her free hand through her hair in mild anxiety, Quinn swallowed and nodded before remembering it wasn't a videophone. Cursing her idiocy, she cleared her throat.

"Yes, yeah I mean yeah I'm her, what's happened…her parents are abroad right now I think."

The truth was she had no idea where they were, they had been growing closer and closer to a nervous breakdown and the last time she had seen them they were heading to Europe to visit relatives.

"Well there has been an incident…and ah well we need someone to be here for her and as you are over 18 and a named contact it's fallen to you."

Half falling off of the bed, Quinn threw on some shorts and rummaged in the drawers for clean loose clothes as she put the phone on speaker.

"Just…tell me what's happened and I'm on my way!"

There was another hesitation before the doctor carried on talking in a gentle tone that was meant to sooth. To Quinn it just meant that there was bad news that needed to be broken gently. She struggled into some track pants and a USAF hoody before beginning to slide on socks and search for her track shoes.

"She…had a visitor and seemed to feel better, she even spoke a few words just after we served dinner. She asked if she could have a bath so we organised a bathroom for her, when she was in there the nurse left to go and fetch more soap. When she came back it became apparent that Miss Armaro had tried to take her own life."

Quinn stilled for a moment with one shoe on and the other half laced, swallowing the bile in her throat she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"How…I mean how did she…is she going to be okay?"

There was another small hesitation as the athlete forced her hands to complete the motion of lacing her trainers and tucking the laces away.

"It would be best if you were to come here so we can discuss it in person, she's in our intensive care unit at the moment."

Standing up and fumbling for the bike's keys from the dish on her nightstand, she grabbed her phone and took it off speaker before half running down the stairs,

"I'm on my way, be there as soon as I can."

She hung up without another word and looked towards her mom and Stephen who had come out of the kitchen frowning at her hurried footsteps down the stairs. Keeping it simple, she shrugged into her leather jacket and grabbed the crash helmet from the side.

"Gabrielle needs me, can you tell Rachel I'm sorry but I can't make tonight. I'll ring you later Stephen."

Pausing to kiss her mom's cheek, she ran out of the house and leapt onto the bike revving the engine a few times before taking off hurriedly, so hurriedly she was still fastening the chin strap with one hand as she drove.

She couldn't get the image of Gabrielle out of her head as she had last seen her. She had been pale, her long brown hair carefully styled by one of the nurses into a French braid. Quinn had sat for a while talking to her about her new school, running track and of course Rachel. Gabby hadn't replied but she had squeezed Quinn's hand, which had held onto hers throughout the visit and she smiled every so often. Now, now she was back to square one according to the doctor, had tried to kill herself _again_. It didn't make any sense and the one phrase that kept echoing in Quinn's head was 'she had a visitor' she had to find out _who _that had been. As far as she knew there was only herself and the girl's parents that ever went there.

Increasing the speed Quinn was so upset she didn't notice the bike was not behaving as it should. Her only thoughts were on Gabrielle, the best friend she had failed to be there for who now may finally have succeeded in killing herself. The Twin Peaks home looked deceptively peaceful from the outside and for the most part it was. It was only if you knew the stories behind the patients that stayed there that you began to get a hint of the turmoil the place hid. Pulling up outside the home, she killed the ignition and hurled herself up the stairs letting the bike fall onto its side as she ripped the helmet off. Skidding literally into the reception desk, she winced and managed to pant out.

"Gabrielle I'm here to see Gabrielle Armaro, a doctor um…shit I forget a lady doctor rang me and told me to get here ASAP!"

The receptionist was young, wide eyed and looked slightly terrified as she rummaged on the counter top looking for the relevant file. Quinn was about to snap at her and no doubt cause a scene when the doctor in question appeared. She was new to the home and Quinn hadn't dealt with her before, she looked kindly enough and definitely older than she sounded over the phone. Relaxing in the woman's presence almost immediately, the blonde trudged over after tossing the crash helmet to the receptionist who caught it with a yelp.

"_Please _just let me see her, talk to me on the way but take me to her."

Regarding the flustered teen in front of her for a long moment, Dr Winfield nodded her grey head and started to lead the way past the comfortable looking rooms that the general public spent time in. They passed through a set of heavy doors and headed down towards the medical wings.

"Gabrielle had been showing signs of improvement for a while, not huge leaps mind you but progress nonetheless. She spoke of you a few times, she cares for you greatly Quinn. Anyway, after the young man visited her she seemed to relax and asked for a bath as I told you before. It was only when she checked later that the nurse realised that Gabrielle had hidden the soap so the nurse would leave her alone. She…tried to drown after knocking herself unconscious. We got to her in time to prevent her from dying but…"

She stopped just outside the intensive care room and gently took hold of Quinn's elbow until the troubled hazel eyes finally focused on her. Taking a deep breath, the doctor knew this was going to be hard for the young woman and wished she could spare her this. But with Gabrielle's parents out of the country it fell to Quinn.

"Although we stopped her from dying and got her breathing again I'm afraid it isn't good news."

Quinn took her arm from the doctor and ran both hands through her hair leaving them grasping at the short blond locks before closing her eyes and forcing out the words.

"Just tell me Doc, just say the words."

Dr Winfield looked through the glass into the room where the seemingly tiny girl looked swamped by the machinery keeping her breathing.

"I'm afraid when she hit her head the damage was extensive…she's technically brain dead. The machines are keeping her alive Quinn, in spirit she's already gone."

Swallowing hard, Quinn felt her legs going out from under her. Luckily the doctor also noticed and caught the athlete swiftly. With Quinn clinging to her, she manoeuvred her into the seats just outside the room and knelt down so she was still eye level with her.

"I'm so sorry to have to break this news to you kiddo. You can see her but you'll need to put on some scrubs and a mask…okay?"

Unable to speak Quinn just nodded dumbly and sat back in her seat. She was unaware of when the doctor left or how long it took for her to return before she handed the required clothing to her. One thing occurred to her as important however and as the doctor turned to go again Quinn caught her wrist.

"Wait…this visitor she had, can you describe him. It's just that I'd like to talk to whoever it was and see if she said anything that might give us a clue as to why now."

She forced a sad smile despite the sickness in her belly and she waited hoping the doctor would believe her reason. Eventually Dr Winfield nodded and gave a half shrug.

"He was fairly young, white, tall, handsome and had light brown slightly curly hair. Drove a nice car too, a red BMW convertible. Does that help you at all?"

Inside, Quinn felt a hand of ice grip her heart and kill off all the emotion as she forced herself to assume a puzzled look. After muttering that it didn't remind her of anyone, she looked down at the scrubs in her hand and gripped them tight. She didn't want to do this, but she had to, she had to say goodbye to her best and oldest friend, even though in a very real sense she was already gone. A part of her ached to ring Rachel and to accept the comfort she knew the brunette would offer her in spades. But no…not now, now she had to say goodbye and let Gabrielle go and then she had to finish this, once and for all. Shaking her head, she quickly put the scrubs on over her tracksuit and then the mask. Knocking on the door to intensive care, a nurse smiled gently before letting her in.

"Take as long as you need Miss Fabray, there's no rush."

Nodding faintly, Quinn made her way over towards the bed where Gabrielle was lying hooked up to so many machines she looked like something out of the Terminator. Swallowing down her tears, the athlete took the seat next to the bed and for a moment her mind rebelled. It insisted on showing her the last time she had been in a hospital with Gabby. Just after her first attempt to take her own life, she was pale and lying curled up in a tiny ball in the middle of the expansive hospital bed. Her cheeks were damp and mottled from so much crying, eyes red rimmed and nose swollen. Quinn hadn't known what to do so she just sat in the chair next to bed and started to read. Both herself and Gabby had a huge love of the Sherlock Holmes novels and with nothing else to say to her that she hadn't already said, Quinn started with the first story and just kept on going. Every day she came back to the hospital and carried on reading until one day Gabby's hand had reached out and held hers. Nothing was said but it wasn't needed, the two girls had just looked at each other and smiled faintly before Quinn carried on.

Looking at the shell of her childhood friend, Quinn could easily believe it when the Dr had told her that Gabby herself had long since left. Nevertheless, Quinn was determined to talk to her, to say her goodbye's. And knowing her old friend, she was probably still here just watching what was going on while she waited to be reunited with her unborn child. Wiping at the tears in her eyes that she hadn't even realised were falling, the blonde took in a deep breath and holding it long enough to try and compose herself, eventually let it out. Glancing around the room, she smiled wanly and with a half chuckle half sob she reached out and took one warm but lifeless hand in her own.

"All this effort just to get a little peace and quiet huh Gabby? I can't say I think much of the exclusive dress code though. Although I guess out of the two of us I always _did _have the worst dress sense so you probably think I actually look okay for once."

Smiling at a memory from junior high, Quinn chuckled and laced her fingers through her friends as she spoke.

"Do you remember that one year I became obsessed with the idea of becoming a Private Detective? I drove you mad all summer by making plans to open my agency to find missing kids. I think you about had a heart attack the day I turned up to walk to school with you and I had that trilby on. Do you remember that? You _even _offered me your Holmes DVD's to take it off. Of course I didn't, in fact the next day I wore suspenders and a tie as well, but no matter how much you whined about it you _still _walked with me. And don't think I don't know that it was you that punched Jimmy Boyle in the nose when he stole my trilby."

She shook her head as she remembered both of them getting a day's suspension for that as neither told on the other. Rubbing the hand linked with hers with the pad of her thumb, Quinn smiled lightly.

"However there was that Christmas _you _got Spice Girl fever! That was worse than my P.I phase, do you remember how many shops we had to trudge through to find you that Doll. _Everywhere _we went they had everyone but Victoria…I think I must have burned through three pairs of sneakers with the amount of walking we had to do to find you one. I mean…I guess I can tell you now ,but that shop that coincidentally had one? Yeah I sort of rang them, as well as about a hundred others. And you would not _believe _the sob story I had to feed them to get hold of it! I have never churned out a performance to equal the one I gave that day. But it was worth it when you smiled that dopey smile of yours…plus I know who organised my secret Santa present at girl scouts that year."

Girl Scouts was something she had both loved and hated, she loved it because her and Gabby had been good at the badge part of it and they liked helping out. But they hated the scouts-obsessed mom's and so tried to stay out of their way. When it was time for secret Santa, Gabby was always okay because she liked normal girl things but Quinn invariably ended up with something she gave her best friend. Until that lone Christmas where somehow her friend had managed to ensure that whoever chose Quinn got her something she actually wanted.

"I'll never forget the faces of all those other mom's when I opened mine. I knew straight away it had to be you because there is no way on earth one of those uptight women would have brought me a disguise kit and a Sherlock Holmes dressing up outfit. What I _do _remember is spending all Boxing Day round yours wearing a false moustache, deerstalker and blowing bubbles with my pipe. You're a fucking _amazing _person Gabby and the world is going to be much poorer without you in it."

She squeezed the hand under hers and blinked back tears as she tried to concentrate on more happy memories.

"I can't pretend to know what it felt like for you to…lose your child the way you did Gabs and I wish that there was something I could have done to try and help you. But I'm not angry with you, in a way I hope that you actually find some happiness again. When you get up there and find your child, give her a huge hug and tell her that her aunty Quinn never met her but would have spoiled her rotten. And you know I would have done that Watson."

She smiled slightly as she used the old nickname for her best friend. Unable to stop the tears any longer, she let her head rest on the bed next to her hand which was clasped with Gabby's.

"I know wherever you are you're probably telling me to stop being so sad but as your best friend I reserve the right to cry and wail as much as I want. Because I'm going to miss you, you have no idea how much you stubborn wonderful idiot. Just be happy okay wherever you are now I want you to damn well promise me that you'll be happy. And check in on my dad for me…tell him we're doing okay, we miss him but we're doing good. And don't be a stranger you hear. I mean I don't know how ghosts and spirits do it these days but you better damn well show up when I marry Rachel. Assuming she agrees when I get round to asking her that is. I mean if she finds out about the P.I fetish she _might _not."

Sitting up, Quinn wiped her eyes and blew out a breath before smiling softly at the shell of what was once her best friend. Peering around the room, she brushed her hand through Gabrielle's hair and then pulling her mask down she leant carefully over and placed a gentle kiss to the side of her mouth which was wrapped round the respirator.

"I told you I would get you to kiss me one day…and this _totally _counts!"

Closing her eyes, she could almost have sworn that she felt a swipe of air go past her shoulder as though someone had swatted at it. Smiling again, she finally looked down at her hand and gently extricated her hand from her friend's. Taking one last long look at Gabby, she replaced her mask and muttered one last farewell.

"Just…find peace Watson, I'll keep fighting the good fight for both of us, pinkie promise."

Linking her pinkie finger with Gabby's, she then smiled and turning around headed out. She made sure to nod to the nurse on the way out who smiled back sympathetically. Dr Winfield was waiting for her when she came out and as she stripped off the disposable scrubs, Quinn quickly wiped the last of the tears from her eyes.

"So…what happens next, I mean do we have to wait for her parents to get in touch or…well um do I have to…"

The doctor smiled kindly and pulled Quinn down to the seats again gently, once she was sure she had the girl's attention she spoke steadily.

"Her parents have rung they…say they trust you to make the right decision but that if they were here they would want her to find some peace."

Quinn's eyes widened slightly and she ran a hand through her already rum pled hair, any kind of style it had had long since fell by the wayside.

"Are you telling me that they want me to decide whether or not I…let her die."

Dr Winfield shuffled in her seat uncomfortably, she personally thought it was far too much responsibility to place on an eighteen year old but she had seen it happen far too many times. Parents got crushed under the weight of responsibility and did what they could to avoid it. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to make it as easy as she possibly could for the kid sat in front of her.

"In a very real sense she is dead already Quinn, it's only her body that is alive, she won't wake up from the coma she's in. Her parents are on their way home now and should be here in a couple of days. If you want you can wait and leave it up to them, it might be easier."

Letting her head fall into her hands, Quinn closed her eyes and thought of the years Gabrielle had been unhappy. So unhappy that she had tried to end it twice now, and now peace was within her grasp. Her parents had already been through this once and to ask a parent to turn off their daughter's last hope was a lot tougher than asking her best friend to do it. Swallowing hard, she dropped her hands from her face as she recognised Gabby's parents' decision for what it was. A cry for help, they would do it but they would forever live with the fact they had in a sense killed their daughter. Breathing through her nose for a moment, Quinn nodded.

"Okay…I'll do it, she wanted to rest, and we should at least let her have that. I'll sign whatever you need and then…we'll let her go."

Dr Winfield stood and squeezed Quinn's shoulder lightly as she moved off to get the necessary paperwork. Fisting her hands for a moment, Quinn pushed aside the sadness and fanned the flames of her anger once more. After she let Gabby go, she was going to find Jesse and then she was going to end this, end him.

Rachel was pacing frantically on her driveway waiting for Santana to get there and pick her up. Unluckily, her car had decided to die promptly when she tried to go to Quinn's so Santana was on her way. Pushing the sleeve of her letterman jacket up to check the time, Rachel Berry actually cursed and kicked at the gravel in the driveway. She looked up as a screech signified the Latina taking the corner with speed in her Mercedes. Wincing at the tire marks left on the road, the Cheerios captain nonetheless rushed to the car and jumped into the back seat as Brittany was predictably in the passenger seat.

"We need to get to Quinn's place and fast…Jesse told me in no uncertain terms that he was going after her. Also I think that he might have done something to Gabrielle up at Twin Peaks."

Swearing in both English and Spanish, the fiery cheerleader performed a high speed and highly illegal u- turn as she sped off towards the blonde's house.

"Did you know he was back before tonight Rachel!"

Blinking in shock at the accusation, Rachel then frowned and glared at her 2IC.

"How could you even suggest that! If I had known he was here, I would have told Quinn straight away!"

Holding up a hand in a conciliatory gesture, Santana quickly replaced it as the car swerved and Brittany squeaked.

"Okay calm yo tits cap! It's just that Quinn asked me to find out because…well she thought that she saw him at the race."

Rachel sighed and sat back in her seat massaging her temples while she muttered under her breath about stubborn irritating blondes. Santana smirked slightly but then frowned.

"Look what exactly did he say maybe it doesn't mean anything, it could just be posturing I mean you know he was always good at that."

Rachel shook her head.

"No he was very obvious about his intent and Quinn hasn't been answering her phone so I'm scared. Jesse may be an egotistical asshole but he has an ambition with less scruples than mine!"

Arching a sardonic eyebrow and despite the seriousness of the situation, Santana couldn't help but mutter.

"And that's saying something."

Glaring at her, Rachel swiftly turned her eyes back onto the road and pushed down on the floor of the back seat as though she had the gas pedal in front of her. Taking the not so subtle hint, the Latina skirted the very edges of the speed limit and they pulled into Quinn's mom's driveway with such a loud shriek that Stephen was out the door before the girls had even spilled out of the car. Rachel literally tripped and stumbled in her haste to reach the man.

"You…Quinn where is she is she here?"

Stephen held her steady with both hands and frowned slightly before replying.

"No I tried to call you but your line was busy, she got a phone call from Twin Peaks to do with Gabby. Her folks are out of town and now that she's eighteen, Quinn is officially a legal guardian."

Rachel frowned even deeper and bit her lip before spilling everything she had heard from Jesse and confiding her fears. Stephen's face grew grave and he told the girls to stay where they were before disappearing inside for a moment. When he came back out he had his coat on and led the way to his truck, Santana pouted at no longer being the driver but hauled herself in anyway. After all, if Jesse was determined to cause trouble for Quinn then she would need all the backup she could get.

Up at Twin Peaks, Quinn was standing outside and wiping her eyes of the last of her tears, for tonight at least. No doubt there would be more at Gabrielle's funeral but for now she had business to attend to, if she could work out where the little weasley-assed mother fucker was. Picking the bike up, she cursed as she saw the dents but once it was on it's wheels again she figured it was the least of her worries. Fishing her phone out and turning it on again, she realised she had several missed calls from Rachel as well as voicemails. Swallowing, she paused with her thumb over the message button wondering what she was going to say. Confiding that she was off to beat the ever-loving shit out of Jesse again wouldn't be the best conversational opener. The dilemma was solved for her when the phone lit up with an unidentified number. Frowning, she looked around and eventually swiped her thumb across to answer.

"Hello?"

The chuckle that sounded on the other end caused her to tighten her grip on the handset to the extent she heard it creak.

"Well, well if it isn't my favourite thug. How you doing Fabray? Heard you found out about my visit to your slut of a friend, how is she now? She fin ally manage to finish the job of killing herself?"

Forcing her voice to reveal none of the pain and anguish she felt over Gabrielle's death, the blonde forced out a casual tone.

"You should be more worried about your own welfare St James. Because right about now your life expectancy just shrunk to that of a turkey on December 24th."

Another arrogant laugh was the only response at first. Then a happy sigh before Jesse's tone also dropped in temperature as he spoke evenly.

"You want to see me and believe me when I say I _really _want to even the score with you, so here's the thing Fabray. If you really want to finish this then meet me at the Carmel bleachers. I figure there's a certain poetry to ending it where it started."

Grinding her teeth, Quinn was too angry to think about why he wanted a confrontation after all this time. Instead, she just saw Gabby's pale face hooked up to a machine that was doing the breathing for her.

"Oh I'll be there St James! And you know what, even if I _do _end up in fucking jail again…it will be worth it!"

Disconnecting the call, she fastened her crash helmet again and vaulted onto the bike. She was in so much of a hurry to reach the boy responsible for all this pain that she failed yet again to notice the pool of dark liquid gathered under the bike. It was a while before the odd noise of the bike drew her full attention, it wasn't anything specific just a different tone. If she didn't know as much about engines as she did then she probably wouldn't have noticed it at all. Frowning, she checked the dials and gauges but they all appeared normal, cursing under her breath she made a mental note to check it over after she got to Carmel and dealt with Jesse.

She was about a half mile from Carmel when she realised what it was that was causing the problem. When she came up on a sharp bend, she noticed the wheel didn't turn as sharply as it should and she had to stamp down on the brake to make the turn safely…except the brake refused to comply. Swallowing down her instant fear she suddenly wished that Rachel _hadn't _shown her all those graphic shots of bike crashes in a bid to get her to stop riding. Instead of the brakes, she downshifted the gears trying not to wince at the clanking sound as the bike fought against itself to try and slow down. She managed to make it round the corner but only barely. On a sports bike, this would be a hell of a lot easier to try and control but on a cruiser like the Indian she was courting trouble.

So it was safe to say the brake line was compromised, and there was something wrong with the hydraulics as well. The road was unfortunately downhill, not much of a slope but enough to stop her being able to slow the bike down to a safe enough speed to get off of it. It seemed intent on sticking at around thirty miles an hour and at that speed even a controlled skid would hurt like a _bitch _if the bike tipped. Unfortunately, the road into Carmel was downhill and if she didn't stop the bike before she reached it then she would most likely end up doubling the speed by the time she reached the bottom. Wishing like hell she had taken the time to put leathers on, Quinn thought fast and remembered the field of horses just outside the school. So long as she avoided the animals and tried to stay in the seat she'd be fine…she hoped.

By the time the edge of the field came into view, she had managed to shave another five miles off the maximum speed. Holding a breath in, Quinn steered the bike off the road wincing at the solid bump that jolted her almost out of the seat as she mounted the curb and smashed through the fence. There was a sharp pain in her shoulder that made her entire arm go numb but she managed to keep it on the handlebars. Mounting the curb however had buckled the frame of the wheel and she lost control of the front half of the bike. Despite her experience in riding, she couldn't keep the bike under her and it fell onto it's side with a crash carrying on it's sideways skid until it smacked up against a tree. Luckily, Quinn had managed to move her leg enough that it didn't get squashed when the bike fell on it's side but in doing so she was flung from the seat and sent hurtling towards the fencing opposite the one she had smashed through.

She figured she must have blacked out for a moment or two because the next thing she was aware of was admiring the stars above her and wondering why her left shoulder and right knee hurt so much. With a groan, she rolled onto her side and tested each limb gingerly, everything moved but her knee was agony and her shoulder did not want to move if given a choice. Pulling her helmet off with her right hand, she winced at the blood splattered inside the visor and touching a hand to her face realised her nose was bleeding. It took another moment for her to remember why she had driven the bike into the field in the first place. Squaring her jaw, she struggled to her feet, it hurt to walk but she could do it and she would. Fumbling her cell phone out of her pocket, she groaned as she realised it was smashed beyond usage. Throwing it back into her pocket in frustration, she started a half hobble half shuffle towards Carmel High school, she was determined to get there no matter what.

In the pick up Stephen was cursing as he watched Rachel and Santana emerge from the entrance of the rest home. Quinn wasn't with them but he didn't like the look on either girls face, Rachel was in tears and even Santana's eyes were red-rimmed. They climbed back into the truck and it was the Latina who spoke as Rachel was trying to control her tears.

"She was here but she left a half hour ago…after turning off Gabrielle's life support machine. The doctor she spoke with said she was upset but seemed okay enough to drive or she wouldn't have let her go. We tried her cell again but this time it just went to the out of service message."

Brittany frowned and pointed to a dark puddle on the floor in front of the trucks headlights.

"What's that, it looks like a puddle of oil or something? Could Quinn's bike be sad too?"

Rachel just hugged Brittany not realising the significance of the question. Santana looked at Stephen and together they leapt back out of the truck to inspect the pool. The ex-pilot swore as he touched his fingers to it and sniffed it before wiping his hands on his jeans leg.

"Brake fluid and traces of hydraulic fluid as well…not good, if the bike's been leaking then she could have crashed anywhere."

Santana looked back to the truck where Rachel was looking at them worriedly through the windscreen.

"Is there anyway you can find Quinn through her phone? I mean does she have some kind of tag as part of her early release?"

He shook his head then pulled his phone out abruptly, glancing at Santana he gestured with his chin to the pick up.

"You should get back in the truck and tell them we'll have the location in a minute. I uh am about to do something _highly _illegal and the less you know the better just in case this comes back to bite me in the ass."

In a rare display of understanding, the Latina just nodded and headed back to the truck, she climbed in and clearing her throat let the lie flow from her lips reassuringly. She was pretty sure that for once Rachel's moralistic side wouldn't rear it's head with Quinn's safety hanging in the balance but the less she had to worry about the better.

"Quinn's phone has a tag system on it and Stephen is just ringing to get the location, any minute now we'll know where she is."

Several minutes later and luckily just before Rachel started asking any more astute questions, Stephen jumped back up into the cab and nodded.

"Looks like she's headed to Carmel."

Rachel's eyes narrowed and she wiped the tears out of them as her hands tightened into fists and she growled out.

"Jesse, that son of a bitch is luring her into something, he must be, there's no way she would go back to that place otherwise."

Nodding his agreement, Stephen stamped down on the gas pedal and took off in a hail of gravel that made Santana smile grimly, Brittany squeak again and Rachel scramble to hold onto the grab bar.

By the time she limped onto the sports field at Carmel High, Quinn's nose had stopped bleeding and her shoulder no longer throbbed. Her knee however was pure agony, she almost wished it had been the same one she'd hurt while running so only one was messed up. Sadly it wasn't to be and trying not to curse, she headed for the bleachers where sure enough Jesse was lounging like he owned the damn place. Sadly it wasn't far from the truth in his case, the faculty loved the money his fame brought to the school and so they let him get away with anything. She glared at him angrily and the smug grin on his face grew slightly when he took in her dishevelled state.

"Wow, okay well I was _hoping _the bike crash might at least break a limb but I'd say the advantage is still mine. You look like shit Fabray."

As the knowledge that this asshole had tampered with her bike settled over her, she felt the white hot anger inside her help her focus past the pain of her bruised body.

"You tampered with my bike, with my father's bike. You son of a _bitch_!"

Jesse frowned and pretended to think for a long moment as she continued to make her way over to him.

"Your father…oh yeah the guy that got himself killed in Afghanistan. I remember your solicitor trotting out that story in an attempt to gain you some sympathy…didn't work though did it?"

Gritting her teeth angrily, Quinn made her way steadily towards him while he carried on looking completely nonplussed and smirking at her.

"Don't talk about him, you don't deserve to mention his name, just like you had no right to go and visit Gabrielle. Hadn't you done _enough _damage?"

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well _I _thought so but apparently not, it took a second visit for her to _finally _finish the damn job. The fact I pointed out that I would destroy you if she even so much as thought of going public with her little story helped I think. And now I get to take care of you, though I have to admire you for actually having the balls to show up…but then again, word has it you _do _actually have balls Fabray?"

Quinn tried not to react but she couldn't help it and her left arm that was held close to her side unconsciously cupped herself and she swore internally at the fates' bad timing.

"None of your fucking business and from what I remember last time I don't _need _balls to kick the shit out of you anyway St James!"

He sat up for a moment his face tight with fury then he stood up and started walking down the bleachers and towards her.

"No you didn't but then you cheated last time didn't you. Launched an aggressive attack with no warning. I at least have invited you here and given you fair warning of what's to happen. Plus of course, I intend to repay the favour and cheat."

As his eyes flicked to a point just behind her, Quinn felt the bottom of her stomach drop in fear and tried to turn. She only made it halfway before a baseball bat smashed into her already damaged right knee. Letting out a strangled cry, she collapsed to the ground in a haze of pain. She felt Jesse's expensive and uselessly soft Gucci shoe turn her onto her back and she fought for the ability to just glare at him. Looking at the guy beside him, she recognised his best friend from Vocal Adrenaline and let her head fall back onto the grass. Jesse grinned down at her and after a moment hunkered down and placed his hand over the left shoulder.

"Hmm, this looks painful Fabray, little bit of blood and if I'm not mistaken it looks a little dislocated…shall we check?"

His grin turned savage and he dug his fingers in cruelly and twisted them to the extent Quinn could actually hear the bone grating. Fighting the nausea welling up in her stomach, she locked her jaw on a scream not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Jesse however wouldn't be happy unless he got her to scream so gesturing to his friend (vaguely Quinn seemed to remember his name was Mark) she watched with pain- fogged eyes as the guy took aim at her knee again. And as Jesse twisted one more time the bat connected with her leg again and her scream came out long and loud. He backed off then and watched as she rolled onto her side to throw up. Smiling grimly, he took the bat from the other guy and motioned for him to hold Quinn's hands. Mark or whatever his name was grinned sadistically as he took hold of both wrists and wrenched her arms above her head ripping another scream from the athlete. She was in so much pain she couldn't have fought even if she wanted to but Jesse seemed not to care about that fact. Kneeling down in a way that effectively pinned her legs as well he raised his eyebrows and placed his free hand on the waistband of Quinn's track pants.

"I want to see if what I read in Rachel's diary is actually true but if it is…well _damn _I'm going to have some fun Fabray. And the best bit is you only have your precious girlfriend to blame for it! It _actually _sickens me how much she loves you, I had to go through pages of overly sweet declarations of love before I found the good stuff."

With another smirk, he pulled her pants down enough to see for himself what he had read in the pages of Rachel's supposedly secret thoughts.

"Jesus _Christ _it's true, you're a fucking freak Fabray! Damn if I had known about this I'd have humiliated the shit out of you _before _killing you."

Quinn's breath caught in her throat at that and Jesse raised an eyebrow as he let her track pants snap back into place.

"What? You hadn't figured that out yet? But of _course _I'm trying to kill you, I wouldn't lure you out here just for a beating. You ruined my singing career and made me look weak Fabray, tonight is about payback…and ruining Rachel as well of course. No one refuses me."

Strangely enough, accepting her death came rather easily, especially when she made up her mind that if she was going out tonight then she was damn well going out in style. She laughed hoarsely and watched happily as he got off of her legs in preparation to swing the bat again.

"Do what you fucking like St James…but it won't ever wipe out the fact you got your ass handed to you by a _cheerleader_!"

He scowled angrily and as he swung back she made her move and lashed out with her good leg, mentally high fiving herself as she made contact with his testicles. Hard contact.

He dropped to his knees and the bat rolled away under the bleachers, in his surprise, Mark let go of her arms and she used the right one to promptly smack him in the throat the way her father and Stephen had taught her to. As he fell back gasping for breath and clutching at his throat, Quinn tried to move. She knew neither of them would be down for long but hopefully long enough for her to get to her feet at least. Trying her best to ignore the pain that kept trying to drag her under, she managed to sit up, but there was no way her right leg was going to support her now. She was pretty sure her kneecap was currently residing somewhere other than its designated place.

Mark had passed out and the bat was out of play now but Jesse was already staggering to his feet again and Quinn used her right hand to pull herself up and into a seat on the bleachers. That was as far as she got before Jesse found his way back to her, he slammed a fist into her gut and screamed angrily.

"You just won't fucking stay down will you, you unnatural freak!

Winded, Quinn nevertheless managed to raise her hand and flip him off as she laughed painfully. He howled angrily and returned the favour she had bestowed on him earlier by slamming his foot into her nuts. That Gucci shoe may have been soft but with enough force behind it, it fucking hurt! Doubling over with a pain she hadn't felt before Quinn heard rather than felt herself hit the floor. For a few minutes there was nothing but the pain and a dull buzzing sound in her head. When her vision cleared enough, it was to see Jesse standing over her with the bat.

"Enough with the fun…time to leave the stage Fabray! I'm sure the world won't mourn the loss of one more freak."

Smirking, he raised the bat to bring it down on her head, Quinn refused to close her eyes and give him the satisfaction of hiding from the blow. A second later she was glad as she did. A rock suddenly flew into the side of his head and sent him tumbling off to the side; frowning, Quinn opened her mouth to wonder aloud what the _hell _had happened. Until she saw Rachel appear, chest heaving hard from a run and growling.

"Don't you _dare _call my girlfriend a freak!"

She kicked at Jesse's unconscious form once and then sank to her knees beside Quinn, the blonde smiled dreamily and let out a breath as she felt her girlfriend's warm hands trying to sooth away her aches and pains.

"Rach are you really here…cos I'm not sure _what's _real right now?"

Wiping the tears from her face, Rachel nodded and smiled tremulously as she wiped the dried blood from the athlete's upper lip.

"Well Stephen is calling the police and an ambulance for you, that's real. As is the fact that Santana just almost ripped Jesse's balls off of him while he was unconscious. Oh and Brittany is twisting the other guy's arms behind his back pretty hard."

Smiling dopily again, Quinn felt safe at last and started to let the pain drag her under, she figured a quick sleep would help her feel better, although she couldn't help but murmur.

"I always thought Brittany was too _nice _to be mean?"

Speaking softly, Rachel just continued to gently clean the blood from the blonde's face.

"Unless someone she loves is threatened, and _you _are someone she loves…just accept it, it's easier. And you should be resting, the ambulance will be here soon and they can fix you right up."

Drowsily, Quinn hummed her agreement and finally allowed Rachel's gentle touches and her bodies need to rest to pull her into blessed unconsciousness.

It took several days for the whole mess to be sorted out and Quinn was the lucky one in that she was out of it for the majority of the time. When she did wake up Rachel was there in the same clothes she had been wearing when Quinn was found on the field at Carmel High school. At first, Jesse had of course tried to claim self defence and that Quinn had been the one to come after him yet again when she had heard about Gabrielle's suicide. Luckily, several things had countered that story. The first being that there were four witnesses who had seen Jesse attacking Quinn when she was unable to fight back (those being Stephen, Brittany, Rachel and Santana of course). The second being that for _some _reason, Jesse's partner in crime had broken down and confessed everything, including the fact that Jesse _had _slept with Gabrielle and driven her to suicide. The third reason and the one that no one could explain was that while Quinn had thought her phone broken beyond use, it hadn't been. In fact it had gotten stuck on record mode and held a record of the entire encounter between Jesse and Quinn. The crime scene guys couldn't explain it but Quinn had just smiled and sent a silent prayer of thanks up to Gabby. Knowing he had no chance of getting away with the attack this time, Jesse had decided to plead out to avoid the publicity of a trial. Last thing Rachel or Quinn had heard was that he was settling in for a nice forty-five year sentence.

After two days in the hospital and surgery to get her shoulder back in place and her knee reattached, Quinn was allowed to go home on the condition that she was under one hundred percent bed rest. Rachel had taken the hospital at their word and had made up a rota that Judy, Stephen and her were to stick to. Apart from occasional pain pills Quinn was fine, it both relieved and sorrowed Rachel that when she asked why Quinn was taking it so well, the blonde had just shrugged and explained that Juvie had heightened her pain threshold. Everyone from school turned up on her first day back and despite feeling fine, Rachel didn't allow them to stay for long, even when Quinn pulled out her super secret weapon in the shape of the special pout. The upshot was that the athlete got very bored very quickly; she couldn't even start physio until the knee was out of plaster. She had the use of her arm again after her hospital stay as despite the way it felt, it had remained just a dislocation.

It was the fourth day out of hospital and the pain was nicely nonexistent thanks to the kick ass painkillers the hospital gave her. Rachel was still at school and Stephen had a flight that afternoon, her mom had worried about leaving her alone but after rolling her eyes and protesting she was perfectly capable of going to the toilet if she needed it thanks to her crutches, Judy had finally agreed to go to work. Quinn lasted exactly forty-seven minutes before boredom set in, she rubbed her jaw and put down the Hound of the Baskervilles impatiently. She was on the last day of her 'period' and she always got…hormonal at that point. Rachel had been very strict about fun time and despite the several hints Quinn had dropped, the brunette remained insistent about not risking it. However, she was on her own right now and if Rachel didn't want to help her…_well_. Leaning across to the night stand, she rummaged in the drawer and pulled out one of the playboy's and the box of tissues.

Slipping her hands inside the checkered boxers, Quinn's hand found her cock and she let out a breath of relief as she started to stroke it gently, closing her eyes for a moment she thought about Rachel…how she'd stormed in to rescue her that night looking all fierce and _unbelievably _hot. Like some comic book superhero. At the mental image of her kick ass girlfriend, she felt her cock hardening nicely and she bit her lip as she rounded her thumb over the slit at the top. A throat clearing itself caused her to yelp in surprise and the playboy went sliding off one side of the bed and the tissues off the other. Checking to make sure she didn't look _too _guilty, Quinn didn't at first take in her girlfriend's appearance as she rambled.

"_Rachel_! For crying out loud…you didn't need to sneak up on me like that! And shouldn't you…be at…!"

Quinn was glad she couldn't see her own expression at that moment because her jaw seemed to have become unhinged and she was pretty sure her eyes could rival the sweetest anime kid's in size. Rachel, her lovely moralistic girlfriend Rachel Berry was wearing…well if she was channelling Puck she would call it a slutty nurse uniform but she wasn't _so_…swallowing hard she took in the short but official looking white dress, the small hat perched on loose and slightly curled hair that fell around the open neckline, topped off with the long, long legs encased in knee high leather boots. Clearing her throat, Quinn gestured with a hand vaguely.

"You…um…nurses don't _really _wear those…but _I _like it!"

Making her way to stand next to Quinn, Rachel bit her lip shyly and then purposefully let her eyes drop to the small tent under the bedclothes. After she was sure Quinn's hazel eyes had followed hers, she looked back up and reaching a hand up gently cupped the blonde's face before pulling it to hers for a brief but thorough kiss.

"Well I was in physics class and I realised that while I've been doing my best to care for you, there was _one _part of you I had neglected."

Swallowing on a dry throat, Quinn managed to make _some _sort of noise, she had no idea what it was but smiling widely, Rachel just carried on talking softly while one hand moved slowly down the athlete's chest to gently squeeze a breast.

"I forgot you got hit in the co pilot and what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't _check _that everything was working okay down there?"

Having given up on speech completely by this point, Quinn just nodded and allowed Rachel to gently push her back into the sitting position she had been in before Rachel interrupted her.

"So…while _I _conduct an examination, I need you to tell me if everything works as it _should _work, is that clear Miss Fabray."

Another wordless nod and Rachel slowly slid onto the bed next to the blonde, taking care to avoid the casted leg. Removing the covers from Quinn's waist, she smiled at the straining erection the athlete had obviously been trying to cover up.

"Well _that _part seems to be working fine doesn't it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Rachel wrapped her hand around the straining member and began to stroke it gently at first. She waited for a moment then ran her thumb over the tip collecting the pre cum and bringing the pad of her thumb to her lips. Licking in an exaggerated fashion, she had to fight not to grin when she heard the strangled moan coming from her girlfriend.

"Hmm it _seems _to taste the same but I think I need to produce a larger specimen to be sure."

Quinn frowned as she watched Rachel remove her hand from her cock and slide it up her own thigh. Although she hadn't thought it was possible, her eyes grew even wider as she watched Rachel's hand slide up and under the skirt and realised that she had no underwear on. Mouthing a silent prayer, Quinn swore she couldn't get any harder if her life depended on it! Until of course she saw her girlfriend cup herself and collect her own lubrication before reaching out to place her hand around Quinn's straining cock again.

"Rachel…are you _trying _to kill me?"

Shaking her head with an entirely far too innocent sounding chuckle, the tiny diva just started working her hand up and down smoothly.

"Of course not baby, I just didn't want to give you friction burns and I brought my own lubrication, now lie back and let me _work_."

Quinn didn't exactly have a choice because her body was listening to Rachel while her brain checked out for the rest of the day. The hand on her cock moved expertly but annoyingly slowly, denying her the quick release she had been planning for herself. Every so often when she thought she was getting close, Rachel's other hand would move and squeeze her balls to stop her from coming. When she did it for the third time, Quinn actually whimpered and pleaded.

"Rachel…_please_, I _need _to cum! I feel like I'm going to explode."

Smiling, the brunette repositioned herself and angled the blonde's cock so it was pointed at the open neck of the white dress and the very pronounced cleavage. Then raising her eyes to lock with Quinn's half lidded ones she began to move her hand rapidly, and this time, this time when Quinn felt the pull in the pit of her stomach, it didn't stop. With a yell of relief, she gripped the sheet on either side of her tightly and watched as she _finally _was allowed to cum. The stream of her release splattered against the skin of Rachel's breasts and the athlete was pretty sure that just the _sight _of her cum dripping down her girlfriend's cleavage lengthened her release. Eventually, Rachel let go of her softening cock and moved upwards until she caught Quinn's lips with hers and ravished her mouth.

Fighting for breath, the athlete eventually had to gently push Rachel away from her just to draw a full breath. After several deep breaths, she let her hands drop to grip her girlfriend's hips and smiled lazily.

"What the hell prompted you to do that Cheerio…_not _that I'm complaining, believe me!"

Chuckling slightly and snuggling up to Quinn, Rachel just shrugged and nibbled at the shell of one of the delectable ears that were right next to her mouth.

"I missed you and I figured after everything you have been through lately, it was the least I could do."

"Does that mean I get to return the favour?"

Wriggling blonde eyebrows in what she hoped she was an enticing manner, Quinn licked her lips. Rachel however, shook her head and gently tapped the cast covering two- thirds of the blonde's right leg.

"Not until this is off you don't, in the meantime you'll just have to get used to being looked after won't you?"

A part of Quinn was very happy with that idea, very happy _indeed_! But it was a small part of her and so she turned onto her side as she much as she could and brought out the pout.

"There are some things we can do, I mean you could ride my tongue for a start, you know I love that. And that is nowhere near my leg! Or you could let my fingers do the talking for me, so long as you stay on my right side it's all good…right?"

Rachel peered at her thoughtfully for a moment before smiling happily and pecking the tip of her nose in a gentle kiss.

"Let me think about it, but for now Miss Fabray…I'd say you're about ready for your oral examination?"

She glanced pointedly down at Quinn's crotch where her co pilot was standing to full attention. Flushing slightly, the blonde rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged her left shoulder ever so slightly.

"What can I say, it has a mind of it's own…and in my defence, _that _was because of thinking about what I want to do to you."

Lowering herself down the bed and towards Quinn's very alert cock, the brunette raised an eyebrow and muttered.

"We'll talk about it later Fabray."

As she felt the first few inches of her cock enveloped in the wet warmth of her girlfriend's mouth, Quinn lay back and couldn't help thinking that this was the first time she had ever looked forward to being laid up in bed!

_So there we go! Another part to this verse, initially it was meant to be about them in college but I wanted to bring an end to the reason Quinn had gone to Juvie. That way there's no unfinished business if there were to be another part…which I am by no means certain of, there wasn't even meant to be a second part lol! And um yeah…if anyone else wants to write the X rated stuff for me please drop me a line because me and that stuff don't seem to work very well. Too much of an old romantic I guess lol, and no one likes a romantic except in theory *sigh* hope you enjoyed but please feel free to let me know either way. As always thanks to my wonderful editor who actually worked on this on her birthday! She really does rock! Love to you all xxx_


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